VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal Communication Jordan Miller CJA 304 April 9, 2012 Heather Arambarri

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Verbal Communication

In the criminal justice system, verbal and nonverbal communication is an absolute necessity. Verbal and nonverbal communication in the criminal justice system involves just about everyone. Officers, judges, attorneys, jury members, plaintiff, and defendant are just a few examples. The beginning of the criminal justice process always involves the arrest of a suspect that involves an arresting officer communicating with the individual suspected of a crime. Communication is followed up through a superior officer, prosecutor, and finally the judge. It is extremely important to have effective communication skills to complete the process of the criminal justice system (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

One common barrier present when working in the criminal justice system involves language. As the United States expands in cultural and ethnical diversity, the language barrier expands as well, creating more opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding. According to Miller (2008):

A Research and Development (RAND) study found that LAPD officers lacked the training to communicate effectively with civilians when a language barrier existed. In fact, even though officers are required to issue Miranda warnings so that arrestees understand them no protocol existed at the time for dealing with non-English-speaking arrestees. (p. 2)

When an individual attempts to communicate with another person who reads, writes, and speaks a different language, one should pay closer attention to body language or other nonverbal tools.

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One should be careful and aware of his or her hand gestures, however because certain hand gestures are found offensive in some cultures (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Police Situations

Proper communication is the key to effective communication and as a police officer, it is an extremely important part of his or her job. When an officer gives orders to a suspect, he or she must be very clear and concise in what he or she is saying. If the suspect does not understand English, the officer may use body language, such as pointing to the ground, to direct a suspect. When police speak to the public regarding a situation, he or she must keep it short enough to satisfy citizens and media. The object of keeping an officers information short is to avoid giving away any information that may hurt an investigation. Speaking to the public, media, or possibly a hostage situation, lead Dr. George Thompson, a former police officer and English teacher to develop a skilled form of communication known as tactical verbal communication. The idea of tactical verbal communication is to prevent potentially hostile situations through words and presence. The goal is to redirect hostility so that police officers can maintain control of a situation. Officers trained in tactical verbal communication are to speak in a calm and respectful manner, rather than use methods of intimidation or scare tactics. Eye contact and hand gestures are also a part of this training (Miller, 2008).

Courtroom Setting

When in a courtroom, communication is spread primarily among the judge, defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, the defendant, witnesses, and in some cases a jury. This communication is not always a formal, nor is it always verbal. When an attorney is speaking to

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members of a jury, he or she must break down the facts in an informal manner so that certain aspects are easier to understand, and a point can be made without confusion. Attorneys also frequently use body language for effect when presenting his or her case. An attorney will often use verbal and nonverbal communication to enhance the effect of the story as it is told. Demonstrations, graphs, charts, and evidence each contribute to a nonverbal story, but verbal communication is typically the most important. Proper verbal communication in the courtroom can make the difference between an individual walking away free or getting sentenced to a correctional facility (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

When a witness takes the stand it is important that questions asked of the witness are clear and concise so as not to confuse the witness. Even when the defense cross examines a witness, he or she needs to be as clear as possible in the questions asked because sometimes a witness may add or leave out information that may help or hurt a case. When the defense and prosecuting attorneys question a defendant, he or she needs to present questions in the same effective manner as was done while questioning any witnesses. When a jury is present in the courtroom the men and women of that jury are looking for clear and concise information presented by the prosecution and defense as well as testimony from any witnesses and the defendant. To a jury, trials are often compared to storytelling. To tell an effective story, one must tell it with clearness and at a proper pace that will add to the effect of the story, capturing the listeners attention (Varinsky, 1992).

Correctional Facility

Verbal communication, like in law enforcement and in a courtroom, is also an absolute necessity in Americas correctional facilities. Verbal interaction between officers, administration,

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and inmates is basically the backbone of a properly run correctional facility. Without effective verbal communication, problems would undoubtedly arise rather quickly. Constant communication is required among staff in a correctional facility. An officer coming off his shift may have information that something bad is expected to happen among inmates, so he or she will need to communicate that information at shift change. Officers may also have information regarding drugs brought into the facility or weapons made by an inmate. In situations like these officers must be able to communicate effectively with inmates; not only for the safety of staff and other inmates but also for the sake of running an effective correctional facility. Some inmates develop anger and a degree of dislike toward some of the officers he or she comes in constant contact with. One common complaint is that some officers will not speak to the inmate or may speak harshly toward him or her. These particular inmates tend to believe that even though he or she is in a correctional facility, an officer should still show some respect when speaking to an inmate. An inmate commonly will voice his or her opinion that even though he or she committed a crime, talking to him or her in a condescending manner is not necessary (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Tactical verbal communication is not only a method used by officers on the outside of a correctional facility; it is commonly used by correctional officers on the inside as well. When an inmate becomes hostile or combative, correctional officers can use tactical verbal communication to calm a situation before it gets worse. Just like everyone else, inmates can perceive verbal communication in a different context than was intended. Tactical verbal communication helps to eliminate that factor. Sometimes and inmate just wants someone to listen to what he or she has to say, so rather than using physical methods against a hostile inmate, sometimes it is best just to listen and communicate in return in a nonthreatening manner. If a

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situation does not require physical force, officers primarily should seek to calm an inmate verbally (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Nonverbal communication is also something that occurs often in a correctional facility. Inmates are known to write a lot, whether to a loved one or friend. Inmates also use nonverbal communication in negative ways, such as passing encrypted messages to other inmates that may contain information about weapons, drugs, or upcoming attacks on staff or other inmates. Another form of nonverbal communication some people may not consider are the sirens and alarms that go off in correctional facilities when there is violence in the recreation yard. Inmates are taught to know that when these sirens or alarms go off that he or she must get down on the ground until further notice. No matter what type of communication is used in a correctional facility, the idea behind it remains the same, which is maintaining balance and order (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Juvenile Facility

Because juvenile correctional facilities are similar in operating procedures, communication is as much a necessity as it is in an adult correctional facility. In a juvenile correctional facility inmates are young and often inexperienced in a correctional facility. Correctional officers who must deal with inexperienced young men and women must keep in mind that his or her mind or mentality is not fully developed and should consider the type of communication delivered to a juvenile. Correctional officers should avoid condescending verbal communication with juvenile inmates just as he or she should do with an adult inmate. Because juveniles are often rebellious, it is common to lash out and become hostile if another individual comes across as condescending when speaking with him or her. Nonverbal communication can

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be used in the form of signage depicting reminders of the policies, procedures, and consequences. In a juvenile correctional facility, rehabilitation is one way to try to keep juveniles out of trouble in the future. This requires plenty of verbal and nonverbal communication as well as above average listening skills. In addition to listening to what a juvenile inmate has to say, sometimes he or she only needs to hear a calm, neutral voice rather than yelling and screaming for information to set in. Many juvenile offenders have never had that sort of personal interaction in his or her life. Sometimes a juvenile offender has grown up without anyone positive to talk to and influence him or her. Because of this, correctional officers in juvenile facilities should be aware that talking down to a juvenile will likely do nothing but reinvigorate his or her anger toward authority (Wallace & Roberson, 2009).

Conclusion

Regardless of whether communication is verbal or nonverbal, it is probably the most important factor in every aspect of the criminal justice system. Every element of the criminal justice system relies on clear and concise communication so that the system runs effectively. The police, lawyers, witnesses, defendant, judge, and jury must present meticulous verbal and nonverbal communications among one another for running an effective criminal justice system. Keeping up with modern criminals and his or her statistics and background can keep officers and courtroom officials in the loop regarding how criminal suspects communicate. Keeping up-todate with an inmates history, inmate slang, nonverbal methods of inmate communication, and verbal communication among inmates, whether he or she are adults or juveniles, contributes to running and maintaining a correctional facility. Effective communication in criminal justice is the key component to running an effective system.

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References

Miller, C. (2008). Officer.com. Retrieved from http://www.officer.com/article/10248713/the-artof-verbal-judo

Varinsky, H. (1992). Nonverbal Communication Enhances Witness Credibility. Retrieved from http://www.varinsky.com/publications/publication_8.pdf

Wallace, H., and Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement (4th ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.