7 1 discussion writing style
Choose two elements that distinguish the criminal justice report from typical nonfiction writings.
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Various types and styles of writing have been developed through the ages, including poetry, fiction and nonfiction, screenplays, novels, short stories, and research papers. Any writing that you have read can probably be classified as one of these types of writing. The criminal justice report is no different. Depending on the circumstances, it can include fiction, but should primarily be a work of nonfiction. The criminal justice report may be descriptive like a screenplay, or it may include a narrative or dialogue that would be worthy of Broadway. For all the various elements that could potentially go into the account of an incident, the criminal justice report still has a style all its own, almost as if the report were written in a unique language—a style that differs from other forms of writing but still encompasses the essentials.
The criminal justice report tells the tale of what the author has discovered, done, and intends to do. The report must be written in a style that answers the essential questions and meets the four Cs. Taking care with your writing style will not help you to answer everything that you need to, but it will help to make your report easily understandable to those who read it, which is a significant part of the battle.
One of the major considerations you need to take into account is writing in the first person. Many novels are written in the first person with the main character telling the story from his or her perspective. This needs to be true of the criminal justice report because you need to account for your actions. There is room for limited third-person reporting when detailing the roles of others, but if they did anything of significance, they should complete their own supplemental report to describe those actions.
Another key consideration is that the report should be written in the past tense. You are writing a report about something that has already happened and there should be no mistaking that. You need to detail the actions of all those involved up to the point where you came into the picture, then your report may switch to the present tense. Then you may use the future tense to describe what actions you need to perform to complete your investigation or to bring a conclusion to the incident. This is an element that is uncommon in many other forms of writing, where it is typically unnecessary to change tense.
Language is another consideration that needs to be taken into account when discussing writing style. If you have watched any television over the past two decades, you have likely seen an overabundance of crime shows. From programs that focus on the police, attorneys, crime scene units, and special investigative units, society has been indoctrinated into the world of criminal justice and the many terms that are used in it. “Perp,†“skell,†“suspect,†and “dirtbag†are terms that you may have heard from time to time and may seem like common speak in the profession. Although this may be the case, you must also remember that many terms that an agency uses are reflective of that agency or region and may not necessarily be universal in nature. These kinds of terms should be eliminated from the criminal justice report as they can cause misunderstanding with those outside of the circle that uses the terms with frequency.
In your criminal justice career, your writing style will in large part be developed by repetition. You will learn when you have too much information and when you do not have enough. You will know when your report makes sense and when it does not. You will learn what is expected of you by the agency that employs you and the others in the system with access to your work. Remember to pay close attention to what you do; include all necessary elements; and put it in a way that is easy to read. Follow all of the guidelines from the previous modules and your writing style will fall into place (as long as you let it).
