Application: Writing an Effective Report in the Field of Criminal Justice
The sooner you record an incident, the less likely you are to accidentally omit something important. If your report is written well and accurate, it is easier for others to understand and use to make more informed judgments and decisions. Familiarizing yourself with the different types of reports that are used in the field of criminal justice makes writing an effective report less grueling. Mastering the five W’s and H (who, what, when, where, why and how), preferred sentence construction, and direct statements help to enhance accuracy and readability of your reports.
For this Assignment, review the different types of reports that are used by law enforcement and by probation and parole officers. Create your own report using a hypothetical example of a crime that was committed or that pertains to a probationer or parolee. Then, examine any challenges you encountered when completing the report. In addition, consider how this type of report may be used in your current role or in a role in criminal justice in which you might be interested in working in the future.
The Assignment: (1 page)
Select a type of report (e.g., a police report, a probation report, or a parole report) that you find most interesting
Create your own report using a hypothetical example of a crime that was committed or that pertains to a probationer or parolee
Submit your report along with the following: (1–2 pages)
Explain any challenges you encountered when completing the report
Explain how this type of report may be used in your current role or in a role in criminal justice in which you might be interested in working in the future
FIRST one 1 page report selected THEN a 1-2 pages
TOTAL OF 2-3 PAGES
Two and three pages with at least three references….
It is important that you cover all the topics identified in the assignment. Covering the topic does not mean mentioning the topic BUT presenting an explanation from the readings.
To get maximum points you need to follow the requirements listed for this assignments 1) look at the page limits 2) review and follow APA rules 3) create SUBHEADINGS to identify the key sections you are presenting and 4) Free from typographical and sentence construction errors.
REMEMBER IN APA FORMAT JOURNAL TITLES AND VOLUME NUMBERS ARE ITALICIZED.
MULTIPLE USE OF INTEXT CITATION
Readings
Johnson, W. A., Rettig, R. P., Scott, G. M., & Garrison, S. M. (2015). The criminal justice student writer’s manual (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 11, ”Writing a Police Report”
Chapter 12, “Writing Probation and Parole Reports”
