Communication refers to the process of passing information from one individual to another and involves several processes such as encoding in which the sender decides to convey a message to another person leading to encoding the message meaning into symbols (Wood, 2015). After this, the sender transmits the information via a medium of choice such as telephone. For communication to occur, the receiver be able to receive and decode the message by interpreting the symbols to ensure that they are meaningful. He or she then gives feedback to the sender to complete the process.This research discusses the problems of communication in the judicial criminal system by focusing on barriers in the juvenile offenders department. The use of technology in enhancing communication will be of important for this research. Other areas include criminal justice structure, ethical issues in communication, improving communication and its importance, and the importance of the research. Technology has enhanced transmission and receiving of important messages but many challenges have been encountered especially in the criminal justice where several barriers are encountered.
Research on the use of advanced electronic communication is important as it helps in understanding the contribution as well as the limitations of advanced technology during communication. Crispo (2012) study discusses contribution of advanced electronic communication in enhancing communication. The article attempts to activities people do using new technology such as connecting with friends, families, and at their places of work. However, electronic communication has altered the manner in which people think, live, as well as innovate. In this case, the use of the technology may lead to interruption of conversations and concentration of users thereby interfering with creative thinking, strategic decisions. There is possibility of many users to multitask. In which one is forced to engage in more than one thing at the same time However, several barriers to effective communication have emerged especially with the invention of technological tools such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet.
Technology contributes a lot to barriers of communication in the judicial systems in various ways. One of the barriers is the pre-conceived aspect in which individuals interpret the message depending on the attitude they have on the person delivering it or what they expect. In this case, conflict and mistrust among the inmates and corrections officers are mostly reliant on the stereotypical views of the parties with each other. Sometimes the corrections officers may encode the messages inaccurately depending on the relationship they have with the inmates. The problem can also be experienced between community police officers and residents for low-income communities due to negative perceptions (Stojkovic, Kalinich " Klofas, 2015). Such kind of interpretation occurs due to negative attitudes and the relationship existing between such parties leading to wrong judgment.
Another barrier is denial of contrary information due to messages that tend to be conflicting with the ideas other parties have regarding an individual. On assessing the message sent, somebody may reject the idea depending on the existing prior information leading to rational decisions. The challenge with this is that the message may lead to conflicting ideologies with personal beliefs or values leading to its rejection without proper validity or clear thought. This results in cognitive dissonance as referred in psychology literature creating a form of communication barrier. Denial is a common issue faced in rehabilitation centers when dealing with offenders.
Mis-interpretation of inflation due to different opinions in any department is a big problem. However, with social-skills training on communication as a therapeutic for young adult and juvenile offenders is vital. Improving such skills that include communication skills can lead to improvement in offenders’ ability to deal with denial and help in adjusting to their environment (Stojkovic, Kalinich " Klofas, 2015). The denial of contrary information is considered a big impediment to interpersonal communication. Dealing with barriers that interfere with the well-being of offenders can be a major boost in the criminal justice.
Another barrier is usage of personalized meanings such as the words selected by the sender, which may contain personalized meanings yet reveal a different message to the receiver. Use of text messages with mobile phones can lead to this barrier as some people may use different spelling that shortens the text, which may be interpreted wrongly by the receiver. Professional jargon or legal terminologies contain little or different meanings to people outside the profession or the legal system. For instance, words that show images of pleasure for one person may have contrary interpretation for another. The young generation use words that have contrary meaning which may be mis-interpreted by the legal officer (Stojkovic, Kalinich " Klofas, 2015). For instance, a young individual may refer to an experience with enthusiasm by saying that it was “really bad”, when he implies that the encounter was very good. This creates interpretation problem as the prosecution and the offenders understand the phrase differently. For one to be declared guilty in the criminal justice system, one’s conscience is important to ensure that the offender is in his/her right mind. Some factors that influence personalized meaning include cultural differences, ethnic backgrounds, and areas of residence.
Lack of motivation or interest may also create a barrier in communication if the sender and the receiver have different opinions on the message being communicated. Use of communication technologies such as emails may not be interesting to all individuals working in the judiciary since it requires one to have internet connection and logged in to his or her account (Stojkovic, Kalinich " Klofas, 2015). Some officers may be interested in using other methods such as memos for convenience. However, communicators may decide to use a simpler mode such as use of mobile texting to pass the necessary messages.
Non-credibility of the source is a common barrier in the judicial system in which the sender of a message lacks believability for various reasons. Non-credibility of the sources of information occurs if individuals have ever given inaccurate information in the past since it is difficult to ascertain the truancy of the message communicated (Glover, et al., 2014). In the juvenile offender, it may be difficult for the officers to believe some of information conveyed by the young offenders due to their low status. However, use of past communication records such as emails, phone calls, and texts can help in determining the sender’s credibility.
Lack of communication skills may result from various factors such as an individual’s lack of proper training, educational level, cognition capability, and personality trait. Practitioners in the field of criminal justice should always have the mastery of receipt, collection, recording, and dissemination of information, which can be accomplished via formal education, academic training, and experience throughout the practitioner’s career. Use of modern communication techniques should be taught to ensure that there is a wide range of communication skills among the judicial officers (Hollywood, et al., 2018). For instance, they should understand street language and have fluency in it to facilitate achievement of maximum delivery of services to clients and the public. With the influx of legal and illegal immigrants, language barriers often exist between members of a community and governmental agencies (Glover, et al., 2014). The existence of some differences in language presentations and level of sensitivity among ethnic and gender groups is known for its effect on communication skills therefore, a communication barrier in this system.
Poor organizational climate such as openness and trust among different members can encourage active communication. There is need for formal communication in judicial service departments to reduce complexity of verbal and nonverbal communication across ethnic and gender lines. Use of complex channels to pass messages is another barrier making it possible for the message to be altered as it passes through various department. In the juvenile judicial system, simple communication using the modern technology such as linked computers can be of great help (Glover, et al., 2014). Offenders should also be allowed phone calls to communicate with relatives for assistance. Sometimes there may be a communication gap leading to differences between the message the sender intended to communicate and what the receiver understands the message. Such a problem can hinder justice leading to poor judgment and a feeling of despair on the subjects.
The criminal justice structure influences the way information is communicated in various departments. Use of technology can help in reducing communication barriers and ensure effective passage and receipt of messages. Today, justice professionals can access information instantaneously from various sources such as local, state, or Federal. Making sure that the three bodies are interconnected can help in reducing issues encountered in various departments including in the juvenile (Lipari, 2017). Use of mobile applications on smartphones and tablets can allow users to identify locate the locations of law enforcers by use of tracking tools. The justice system should be designed in a way that promotes communication and reduces barriers at the same time ensuring security of the officers and inmates. The police should have gadgets that allow them to tag, sort, as well as share whatever they know in order to promote healthy communication. Use f an intranet consisting of many interconnected computers as well as servers involved in exchanging information with specific people is recommended. An organization with this kind of structure can improve communication and ensure that excellent services are offered.
According to Jones (2012), ethical issues may emerge during communication in the criminal judicial system. Some of them include integrity that defines the truth and trust of the information offered by officers or the inmates. Any false information can lead to wrongful incarceration of the victims or loss of job for the officers in charge. Power is also important in communication ethics in which some people use their capacity to impose or transform some existing forms of social structuring. Some top officials may give orders to junior officers in a tone that negatively affects emotions. In addition, the officers may also use their power to pass irritating messages to the offenders or insult them. In other cases, individuals can be rude to others while giving messages or responding to the information delivered (Lipari, 2017). Hacking of systems may also occur with the intention of stealing vital data or sabotaging the work of the judiciary. Misuse of communication equipment and gadget such as the organization databases may also indicate communication ethical issues. The criminal justice system should cultivate a culture that ensures that everybody respect all communication structures.
Criminal justice administration can apply some measures to improve communication in various departments. Use of mobile data can be of great importance as officers on patrol and those manning juvenile chambers can access the database information with mobile data terminal. This also reduces the need for the police to use radio calls and ensure privacy of communication since the general public cannot access the databases. Department or bureau of computers can also be used to connect officers in different departments such as supervisors and can be used for preparing needed reports (Roberts, 2018). Networked computers require every user to log in with apasswrd, which should be given to only authorized individuals. Use of electronic mail is also a good alternative to improve communication in which a message is distributed from a single source via email addresses. For sharing information to a larger group use of emails is appropriate, which may include change of warrant status of current offenders, departmental modifications, change of uniforms, and officers on leave among others (Roberts, 2018). The judicial system can also use texting due to its convenience and the speed of passing the message via mobile phone. This can be appropriate for short messages by officers, supervisor, and other relevant personnel.
According to Bryan, Garvani, Gregory and Kilner (2015). There is need to improve communication in the criminal judicial systems for various reasons such as promotion of quality service to the offenders and unity among the officers. Police officers write reports while criminologists give proposals relating to cases being handled. All these activities require an excellent communication platform for efficiency. The work need to be organized and well written since it articulates the thoughts alone is conveying the message (Roberts, 2018). People working in this environment must also have impressive speaking skills such as the ability of posing pertinent questions, conducting interviews, interrogating, and leading discussions among others. The officers must have focusing, paraphrasing, reflecting, and well as confronting skills for effective judgment of cases. Improving communication also facilitates use and understanding of non-verbal communication such as observing an individual’s facial expressions and tone of voice. Skillful communication is essential and every criminal justice department must find ways of improving communication in every department.
This research is very important since it addresses issues that are experienced every day in the judicial system due to communication barriers. Understanding chalenge that can lead to misinterpretation of messages by individuals is vital. For instance, if a message is sent and the responder has a different opinion, there can be major challenges dealing with such kind of a situation. In the juvenile cases, the young people may lack quality communication skills. However, the judicial system management should adopt the best technology to promote sending and receipt of messages that are important when passing judgment. The research also offers insight on improvement of communication by the criminal justice administration as well as the need to do so. It therefore, promotes knowledge on importance of ensuring perfect communication channels, which allow security and confidentiality. Use of technology in promoting communication has also been analyzed in this research.
References
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