Criminal Justice Communication Issues

Issues in Communication and the Legal System
Communication is defined as the “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior (“Communication,” 2011). The two most common types of communication are verbal and non-verbal forms of communication as professionals in the criminal justice system must be able to speak and write clearly and coherently. Being able to effectively communicate verbally also requires attentive listening skills to adequately understand what a person is saying. A lack of listening skills is an issue within the criminal justice system as the average listener only hears, understands, and retains 50 percent of what is actually being said (Mathewson, 2009). With the significant increase in cultural diversity in the United States, language barriers are another issue in the criminal justice system. A non-native person that does not speak English and has learned English as a second language may cause a decrease in the clarity of a verbal conversation; as a result, many law enforcement agencies are not sufficiently staffed to communicate in different languages (Mathewson,
For example, people of Hispanic origin often embrace physical closeness while touching and hugging may make Native Americans feel uncomfortable. Effective communication is often not achieved in the criminal justice system as a result unclear, wordy statements. Reports by attorneys should be brief and concise to decrease the chances that their reports will be thrown out (Mathewson, 2009). Body language is yet another issue in the court system. People unconsciously give off non-verbal clues that can indication nervousness, agitation, and dishonesty. Non-verbal and verbal communication collective tell the entire story and, usually, less is