Crim B50 Criminal Justice Report Writing

1. Crim B50 Criminal JusticeReport Writing Bakersfield College Charles L. Feer, JD, MPA

2. All reports will be judged on the following criteria: • Accuracy • Completeness • Conciseness • Clarity • Grammar • Chronology • Legibility • Spelling

3. Accuracy • Reports must only contain the facts of what happened. Don’t make any of your own conclusions or offer any opinions. Just write what you saw, what you did, and what you heard directly. • Distinguish between facts and opinions. Facts can be verified. Opinions are open to different interpretations. • A fact is a statement that can be proven. It is different than an inference or an opinion.

4. Accuracy • Avoid making statements about the future; the future is never verifiable. • Never make statements that describe the emotional or mental state of a victim, witness, or suspect. • Those are also open to different interpretations.

5. Completeness • A report must include all necessary information. You must be able to answer: • Who: Who was involved? Who was the inmate? Who were the witnesses? Who were the staff members? Who was the aggressor? Who was the victim? Use names, initials, CDC number, housing, and rank designation as appropriate. • What: What happened? Report only what you saw or heard. Was there a rules violation? Were there weapons involved? Was there property damaged? • When: When did it happen? When was it discovered? When did you arrive on the scene? When was it reported? Use military time. Use dates. • Where: Where did it happen? Where was the evidence found? Be specific.

6. Conciseness • Use as few words as possible. Conciseness does not mean that you should omit necessary information. Conciseness means that you must learn to omit unnecessary words. A sign of good writing is using as few words as possible.

7. Clarity • Your writing must also be clear. If your report is clear, it will make sense to the reader. • Use specific, concrete facts and details. Providing details does not mean using excessive words. You can be concise and still provide adequate detail.

8. Grammar • Active and passive voice refers to verb use. Active or passive depends on whether or not the subject of the sentence is doing the acting or is acted upon. • A preposition is a word which relates a noun, phrase, or clause to some other element of a sentence. • Avoid run-on sentences • Use past tense

9. Chronology • Write reports in chronological order. Chronological order means writing the report in the time sequence in which the occurrence happened. • Write in narrative format. Begin at the point at which you became involved in the event. Record, in time sequence, what you saw and what you did about it. End the narrative at the point in which you completed your involvement in the incident or event. Only include information in which you have first-hand knowledge.

10. Legibility • Print legibly. Your report needs to be read and understood. • Take your time and print correctly. • All reports must be in blue or black ink.

11. Spelling • Use the shortest word possible to say what you mean. • Build a vocabulary of short, concise words. • Minimize the use of abbreviations.