Effective Communication in a Criminal Justice Settings Essay

In the criminal justice system, a police officer’s ability to communicate is one of the most important traits an officer can have. Police officers communicate with everyone from the public to peers, arrestees, victim and suspect families, and court personnel. A police officer must determine the most effective way to communicate, using several different methods, with everyone without offending or sounding weak. Public Announcements to the Press Police officers deal with the public on a constant basis. Many times, police officers will have to address the public in a professional, staged appearance. Public announcements can be in person, often live in front of news cameras, or a written statement the press uses to publish in the print media, website, or news broadcast. High-profile cases, riots, or inmate suicides are reasons a corrections officer may need to provide an announcement to the press. Upon making a public announcement, it is important for the corrections officer to speak directly to the audience and keep sentences short to avoid confusing the audience (Wallace & Roberson, p. 71, 2009). Usually, when giving a public address announcement, the press will follow up the message with questions of their own to clarify the remarks, or in an attempt to get additional information if the message is too vague. When a police officer speaks to the media publically, it is important for the officer to know his or her facts and be very keen on the topic (Wallace & Roberson, p. 79, 2009). If there was an officer involved shooting, the public and the media could care less to hear about the new patrol cars or k-9 unit. It is important to be punctual and understand the timeframe the speaker has to present his or her information to the media. The speaker should prepare him or herself by having notes or an outline to  follow, it is not a good idea to â€Å"wing it,† especially if the purpose for the public announcement is serious. A speaker’s appearance is important because the media and public could be critical and doubt the sincerity of the speech if the speaker fails to take the time necessary to look presentable. When a police officer provides a written announcement he or she needs to be as professional as possible. It is important to avoid the use of legal or technical jargon, slang, or words the audience may be unfamiliar with (Wallace & Roberson, p. 73, 2009). The print media may not have the time to contact the speaker and ask for clarification so it is important to use clear and concise language when providing written statements for the media. Testifying in court Effective communication in the courtroom is a necessary cog in the wheel of criminal justice. As a police officer, it is important to understand the importance of effective communication while presenting evidence or testifying in court. Defense attorneys will try to confuse try to make the officer second-guess his or her actions or the content of an incident report. An ill-prepared corrections officer may become impatient and exasperated if challenged by an aggressive defense attorney (Wallace & Roberson, p. 111, 2009). Police officers commonly make errors because of the lack of preparedness prior to taking the witness stand (Wallace & Roberson, p. 71, 2009). Police officers should meet with the attorney they are being summons by in order to read over their report and refresh their memory in preparation for the stand. If a police officer is set to testify during a trial, it behooves the officer to communicate with the prosecution to prepare for questions the Prosecution will ask, and potential questions the defense attorney will ask. When a police officer writes a report, it is essential to include important and necessary information. Police officers write various types of reports. However, the information contained in each type of report must be clear, concise, and honest. Future court cases may depend on information contained in an officer’s report as evidence in a criminal case (Miller & Whitehead, p. 4, 2011). Disciplinary review boards may rely on an officer’s incident report to determine if an officer operated outside his or her scope of duty. Prior to the court appearance, the police officer must analyze his or her report to enhance his or her preparedness for the trial. The court will not wait for the corrections officer to fumble through his or her notes. Preparedness will enhance the officer’s credibility with the jury; whereas, an unprepared and confused corrections officer may look incompetent to a jury, which may cause the jury to questions the validity of the events recorded in the report and the officer’s testimony. When a police officer testifies in court, it is not only essential but also the law to be honest in everything said. If the corrections officer does not know the answer, saying, â€Å"I do not know† is appropriate. If the police officer does not remember a specific event, it is appropriate to ask the judge to review notes or a copy of his or her report if he or she has one (Wallace & Roberson, p. 115, 2009). However, reading the report word-for-word or taking too long to locate the answer to a question may cause the jury to doubt the truthfulness and competence of the officer. The jury may think, â€Å"you were there, how could you not remember?† The officer must never assume the next question, but wait for the defense or prosecuting attorney to ask the questions and provide an honest answer in a clear and loud voice. Effective communication applies to the back and forth conversation the police officer has with both the prosecutor and defense attorney. It is important for the police officer to understand the questions the attorneys ask (Wallace & Roberson, p. 115, 2009). It is appropriate for an officer to ask for clarification if he or she fails to understand the wording of the questions (Wallace & Roberson, p. 115, 2009). A police officer must remember the court records his or her testimony in a written transcript, and sometimes by audio recording. The officer must master communicating orally when testifying in court because a stenographer cannot and will not type hand gestures, nods, shrugs, etc. (Wallace & Roberson, p. 115, 2009). It is important for the police officer to remember they are in a court of law, and he or she represents his or her agency. The police officer must show respect for the court, the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense  attorney. A jury may look poorly upon a rude, belligerent, and disrespectful officer. Disrespect for the court could result in administrative reprimand or contempt charges. Appellate courts use written trial transcript when they review a lower-court ruling. The appellate courts do not review or see new evidence; therefore, it is imperative for a corrections officer to do his or her part in practicing effective oral communication. A police officer appearance is also important when testifying in court. An officer’s appearance is the first thing a jury sees, and the jury will judge the officer on his or her appearance. An officer should have a clean, wrinkle free uniform shirt and trousers. The officer should have his or her shirt tucked in and shoes shined. A sloppy looking, unkept officer will look unfavorable on the jury, who may use that negative first impression when deciding the believability of the officer’s testimony. Communicating with Peers and the General Public Effective communication with peers in the general public is not only necessary but also life saving. Police officers tend to use their own â€Å"lingo,† or â€Å"cop-talk† to communicate with each other. Most non-law enforcement people are familiar with the term â€Å"Code 4,† which can mean, â€Å"Yes, okay, copy, etc.† Code 4 is one of a normal range of 13. Each number represents a message an officer uses instead of explaining word-for-word what they need. This abbreviated form of communication is known as â€Å"common code.† In police departments within the County of Boulder, Colorado departments use the common code. For instance, â€Å"code 4, code 5 with one† means an officer is okay with one person in handcuffs. Code 13 would mean â€Å"I need one additional officer as fast as possible.† Communicating with superior officers is also important. Higher-ranking officers in a police department supervise the officers. If there are ineffective rules or policies in place, it is the responsibility of the officer to follow the chain of command and provide feedback and possible suggestions on how to improve the ineffective policies. Police officers see the world differently from non-law enforcement citizens.  Police officers spend most of their day running from call to call. Experienced police officers have a different perspective on humanity; they often share and agree with those jaded views of society with fellow officers (Gilmartin, 2002). This can cause poor communication methods when speaking to the general public. It is easy to look at an arrestee and judge him or her as a â€Å"loser, a drug addict, or pervert.† Not all arrestee are guilty of their charges; everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, it is important for a police officer to put aside feelings of contempt and communicate with arrestees in a respectful and professional manner. Gilmartin (2002) stated, â€Å"Officers control 100% of their integrity and Professionalism. Everything else – policies, uniforms, required procedures, budget, assignments, organizational goals, and just about every other central aspect of the officer’s role, is controlled by someone else† (p. 80). Communicating with arrestees is different from communicating with people who are not under arrest or detained. Arrestees are under a great deal of stress because of their limited freedom and the unknown future that awaits them. Although difficult, it is important to remember the current situation of an arrestee when communicating with them, especially telling them they cannot do certain things. Many arrestee are not accustomed to somebody telling them â€Å"no.† Communicating with Peers and Juvenile Arrestees Communicating with peers in a juvenile arrestee situation is quite similar to communicating with peers in an adult situation. Clear and concise lateral communication is impotent between officers over radio transmission as well as face-to-face communication. A juvenile arrestee situation can be a dangerous setting even though the arrestees are usually under the age of 18. An officer must use careful consideration when dealing with juvenile offenders. Juvenile minds are not fully developed. Juvenile minds may also lack the comprehension to understand the seriousness of their actions. Most of the offenders do not think and act as adult offenders do; therefore, officers must try to communicate closer to their level. A police officer has to remember that a juvenile offender attains certain special rights when detained. The juvenile cannot be questioned without a lawyer or parent present. Many officers forget this note in many state laws and end up losing a case because admitted evidence is thrown out during trial. In conclusion,  police officers have a duty to themselves, their peers, arrestees, the courts, and the public to be effective communicators. Verbal and nonverbal communication skills are important to learn, and continue to improve upon. A police officer who learns to apply effective communication skills in his or her occupation will become a valuable asset within his or her department. The community will have more confidence in a department if they have confidence it the officers who represent it. Officers who communicate with different types of people will also gain the respect and trust of their peers and supervisors. References Gilmartin, K. (2002). Emotional Survival For Law Enforcement. Tucson, AZ: E-S Press. Miller, L., & Whitehead, J. (2011). Report writing for criminal justice professionals (4th ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement (4th ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Pig-Footed Bandicoot - Facts and Figures

Pig-Footed Bandicoot - Facts and Figures Name: Pig-Footed Bandicoot; also known as Chaeropus ecaudatus Habitat: Plains of Australia Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-100 years ago) Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Rabbit-like ears; narrow snout; long, spindly legs About the Pig-Footed Bandicoot As you can guess from its name, the Pig-Footed Bandicoot was one of the oddest prehistoric marsupials ever to grace Australias vast interior. This tiny plains-dweller had long, rabbit-like ears, a narrow, opossum-like snout, and exceptionally spindly legs with strangely toed feet, which gave it a comical appearance when hopping, walking or running. As far as is knownsince the last living individual was glimpsed over 100 years agothe Pig-Footed Bandicoot nested during the day in grass-lined burrows, and emerged at night to feed on grass seeds (though specimens in captivity enjoyed a more omnivorous diet). Its not clear exactly why the Pig-Footed Bandicoot went extinct. This tiny mammal managed to coexist, more or less, with the Australian aborigines for tens of thousands of years; most likely it was the much different farming practices of later European settlers that eroded its habitat and sources of food (it didnt help that the cats and dogs the settlers brought with them made quick snacks of the Pig-Footed Bandicoot, at least those individuals too slow to make a hasty escape). During the nineteenth century, a few European naturalists tried to study the rapidly dwindling Pig-Footed Bandicoot before it disappeared off the face of the earth. Amusingly, one adventurer went to great pains to obtain two live specimens from a tribe of Aboriginesand then was forced to eat them when he ran out of food! (See a slideshow of 10 Recently Extinct Marsupials)

Modern Drama and the Diminution of Dreams essays

Modern Drama and the Diminution of Dreams essays The Aristotelian view of drama required an imitation of life, but his heroes were invariably members of the noble class. He regarded Sophocles Oedipus Rex as the perfect play. Given this viewpoint, and given the stranglehold that Aristotle had over Europe over the next sixteen centuries, it is no wonder that most drama from the Greeks through until the renaissance were designed with this in mind. Dramatic heroes needed to be elevated so that their plunge into darkness would be all the more extreme. The Renaissance began a process which allowed a re-examination of drama. No longer was a protagonist required to be a king. Now it was possible for lesser mortals to experience the devastation formerly reserved for nobility. By the 19th century Naturalism and Humanism had made it possible for plays to be written about prostitutes as protagonists, such as The Lady of the Camillias in 1849, which eventually degenerated into Eugene ONeils Anna Christie. By 1902 Maxim Gorky was writing plays about the dregs of society, the lower class, as in The Lower Depths. Realism allowed playwrights a chance to write about real people. Ibsen wrote about women smothered by society, as in A Dolls House, or The Wild Duck. ONeil wrote plays about dysfunctional families, such as A Long Days Journey into Night, or plays about the destruction of lower class men, such as The Emperor Jones and The Hairy Ape. None of these protagonists were noble in class, and yet their falls often resulted in death, and the act of their falls left audiences as drained as the Athenians who watched a king plummet from grace. Along with this de-emphasis on the stature of the protagonist has come a shift in the tragedy that surrounds them. Aristotle stressed the natural, as he said in his discussion of plot, in that it should follow the rule of what is possible according to the law of probability or necessity. ...

A critical review of the literature on the nursing management of type

A critical of the on the nursing management of type 2 adult diabetec patients - Literature review Example This research paper will aim to review the literature on the use of nursing interventions to improve compliance It is argued that for the better management of diabetes and for the eradication of non-compliance behaviour, effective nursing intervention can be resourceful. A literature review was therefore conducted on the compliance of patients with diabetes type 2 and the role of nursing interventions in improving compliance. The databases searched were CINAHL, British Nursing Index, ASSIA and The Cochrane Library. The results showed three main themes which have been discussed in the paper. The themes have been analyzed in the context of the research topic and implications for clinical practice have been highlighted. The studies are both qualitative as well as quantitative and have used several study designs such as randomized control trials, reviews, systematic literature review and correlational studies. The nursing-led interventions have not been studied taking a large sample and the study designs are at times not very reliable. This necessitates more researches to be done to reinforce the results of the previous studies. On a general note, the studies have suggested that nursing interventions aimed at providing more education, awareness and advice to the patients have positive effects on encouraging self-care and increasing compliance to control regimes. More researches need to be done on larger samples so that the results can be generalized to the entire population. The study helps to identify that implications for health care professionals from various departments exist; interprofessional team work from nurses, general practitioners, volunteers and social workers can collectively be focused on the better implementation of interventions and empowering diabetic patients. Keywords: â€Å"compliance†, â€Å"diabetes type 2†, â€Å"nursing interventions† 1. Introduction Diabetes is taken from the Greek verb diabainein, meaning to stand wit h the legs open as one does in urination. Diabetes is a fast-growing disease and is characteristic of polyruria. There are two main types of diabetes i.e. diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mellitus is related to the hyperglycemia or intolerance to glucose in contrast to diabetes insipidus which occurs because of the lack of production of anti-diuretic hormone. Type 2 diabetes is a subclass of diabetes mellitus with typical symptoms of hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance and/or insulin deficiency (King & Brucker 2009). It is noted that obesity and diabetes type 2 have a strong correlation. According to Joslin and Kahn (2005) obesity worsens the insulin resistance and patients with diabetes type 2 develop an increased risk for a range of diseases such as macrovascular and microvascular problems. This paper aims to highlight nursing management practices with respect to the care of patients with type 2 diabetes. Nursing management entails the â€Å"use of personnel , supplies, equipment, clinical knowledge, and skills to give nursing care to clients within varying environments† (Roussel & Swansburg 2006). Nursing management brings together a number of principles such as planning, effective use of time, decision-making, formulation of goals, organization, leadership and working as knowledge workers. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and patients typically have a large store of abdominal fat (Plotnick & Henderson 1998). Diabetes is growing rapidly in the UK with more than 2.6 million people diagnosed with the condition in 2009. It was also documented that in 2009, there were a further 0.5 million people who had type 2 diabetes but were not aware of it (Diabetes UK 2009). There are several treatment options available to patients, of which weight reduction and administration of oral agents are proven to be effective. Aschenbrenner and Venable (2008) assert

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 9

Law - Essay Example Project management and using media within his practice is another part of his practice. Generally, the paramedic becomes a highly respected member of the community rather than turn out to be an anonymous person. His work and the speed with which he responds to a call together contribute to the picture of a saviour. The professionalism, the awareness of conforming to the multidisciplinary team and accountability make him what he is in the community (Mulholland, 10th NRHC). â€Å"Rural community engagement, emergency care, scope of extension of practice and primary health care† (RESP) have been included within the job description of a paramedic in the Australian Council of Ambulance Authorities (AAA.). The paramedic makes decisions of life and death under stress. However his practice does not only include only medical decisions (Steer, 2007). Culture, law and ethics problems infiltrate it creating impromptu problems which need to be solved under extreme pressure. Consent for adopting an intervention would depend on the patient. Refusal of care is a major problem that can stop him in his tracks (Steer, 2007). The paramedic must expect these and act shrewdly if he is to save that patient. His skillful application of the necessary rules or laws should smoothen the process. The patient could be in an inebriated state which can be interpreted as incompetence for giving consent. The situation can be explained and the possible reasons for the wheeze which has occurred. The outcomes too may be related. If the person does not still provide valid legal consent, the paramedic is facing the â€Å"Recipe of Difficulty†. He can enquire if the wheeze had occurred earlier and whether it is a habitual event. I f so, the patient may have the necessary medicines or inhaler with him to overcome the wheeze, the cause of which could be just bronchial asthma, and he may not have taken them when he was seen. The paramedic can encourage him to take the medicine or inhale

Marketing coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing - Coursework Example Agriculture and any other economic activity such as tourism cannot thrive in a society that does not have efficient water management strategies. Challenges related to water in Ethiopia have persisted for several decades now. Management of water resources is the only way to meet the growing needs for agricultural products soas to help reduce poverty and food insecurity. Further, water can be used as an important entry point to bring development in the social environment and economy thus leading to sustainable development (Gabre-Egziabher 2007, p.67). Ethiopia is also challenged with several civil wars. Ethnic communities have been fighting each other over the scarce resources in the country. The civil wars have also been linked to poor governance because there are numerous corruption scandals affecting the delivery of services to all ethnic communities. As a result, wars between communities have emerged. This level of insecurity cannot allow the smooth flow of tourists in the country (Kiros 2006, p.212). Due to mismanagement of water resources, Ethiopia has witnessed one of the worst droughts in the world. Human beings have died due to famine which prompted the international community to intervene and save the citizens from the great famine of Ethiopia that occured in 1986. Drought cannot allow any agricultural activity to take place, which is why food prices continue to be highin the country . According to the United Nations, Ethiopia is one of the countries that depend on relief food for its population’s survival (Brems & Beken 2008, p.129). Any investment in the tourism sector needs adequate infrastructure such as good road and railway systems. In Ethiopia, there are no adequate roads that can easen the movement of tourists from one region to another. The road networks as well as the rail systems are underdeveloped. The movement of tourists from one place to another cannot be easy in such a situation. In addition, there are no adequate airports that ca n provide air transport to various tourist attraction sites in the country (Asfaw 2006, p.48). In relation to security, Ethiopia does not have the right security personnel equipped with modern technology to identify terror threats. Terrorism continues to be one of the challenges affecting tourism. Without guaranteed security, there can never be any benefit arising out of the industry. In addition, the numerous ethnic conflicts are also not suitable for tourist visits to the attraction sites (Asfaw 2006, p.48). The weak and developing justice system does not provide procedural guarantees including legal aid, an appeal system, fair trial and equity before law. Despite these issues being given priority in the constitution, their implementation is still a challenge. The unreliable justice system is not friendly to potential investors in the country. Furthermore there is a severe shortage of trained legal staff meaning that potential investors and players in the tourism sector lack confi dence in the delivery of justice (Gabre-Egziabher 2007, p.67). Political repression is a major challenge to the citizens of Ethiopia. The ruling party EPRDF has continued to trample on the rights of the citizens. Opposition leaders are not given a chance to air their grievances concerning the illegal dealings and scandals in the government. The government has punitive legislative laws aimed at the press and the civil society. The main aim of the government is to affect the

Remind yourself of the opening passage Essay Example for Free

Remind yourself of the opening passage Essay Of course, Marlow is the only one we really need be concerned with, as it is he who goes on to co-narrate the rest of the book. The Director of Companies doubles as the captain and the host. This shows how they generally look upon him with affection, trust and respect. The Lawyer is older than the rest and possesses many virtues. The Accountant is toying with dominoes, trying to start a game. This possibly shows his views are childish and not generally considered with a lot of respect by his associates, or by Conrad himself. All of them already have the bond of the sea. and they are tolerant of one another. However, there is then Marlow. He has a rather withered appearance He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion He is a man who doesnt really characterize his class: although he is a seaman, he is also a wanderer, which is rather strange, since most seamen live inactive lives aboard the ship. These ideas can be read into by just taking into account the first description of Marlow. The sallow skin and sunken cheeks dont give the impression that he is healthy or happy. He is certainly different from everyone else on the boat. It doesnt seem coincidental that hes the only person on the s boat who is named too. He is distinct from them because he has no category that fits him. This could be part of Conrad giving the reader an idea of Marlows unreliability throughout his whole narration. It is certainly explored as the book continues. This is Conrads way of arranging the overall structure of the novel. People do realise that it is going to be a remembrance of a story, and this story accounts for Marlows presently shaky, impenetrable state. Yet, it is out of the ordinary that he does also say that Marlow resembled an idol. The fact he put this in may suggest that he is being looked up to, and the fact he survived Africa and back is impressive. After the crews descriptions, the whole passage focuses on again describing the setting, and then bringing historic recollection of the surroundings. Conrad mentions Sir Francis Drake to Sir John Franklin, two of the famous explorers that travelled down the same river. During this same passage he then talks about feelings of the British people the germs of empires, who manipulated other human beings and resources. This goes a long way to revealing Conrads view on the slavery and demolition. Despite all the mention of it in Heart of Darkness, it is noticeable how Conrad assumes peoples knowledge of colonialism. The resentment of Marlows recollection makes obvious Conrads own strong bias against colonialism, which he does wants to pass on to the reader. Overall, the introduction serves as a good beginning to the book. In the passage, Conrad manages to introduce most of his main themes. There is darkness, which is very large topic, and how it can serve/be viewed in different contexts. We are made aware of Marlow himself and his unreliability/madness (caused due to the voyage ). Also, there is already a brief introduction into his views on colonialism/imperialism too. Due to this, you get an impression of his views early on, and as a result almost get ready to view the rest of the book in the way he may of intended you to. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.