Criminal Justice Org Chapter 4: Communication Process

Communication Basics

• The term for transmitting symbols back and forth between sources is communication.
• The communication process typically includes steps such as encoding, sending, receiving, and decoding.
• There are five main steps in the communication process.

Communication Barriers

• An example of a communication barrier is jargon, which can alter the meaning of a message and lead to misunderstandings.
• Messages passing through multiple communication gates can lead to distortion and loss of important information.

Downward Communication

• The purpose of downward communication in an organization is to convey instructions, policies, and performance feedback from higher levels to lower levels.

Criminal Justice Communication Networks

• A key characteristic of networks in the criminal justice system is the degree of interconnectivity between various agencies.
• Organizational networks in the criminal justice system are often interdependent, sharing resources for efficiency.
• There are an estimated thousands of potential networks in the criminal justice system.

Communication Challenges in Criminal Justice

• Communication barriers exist more in the criminal justice system due to factors like hierarchical structures and diverse agency objectives.
• Communication among criminal justice agencies is characterized by variability in protocols and information sharing.
• The communication process within criminal justice organizations is affected by organizational culture, training, and technology.

Theoretical Frameworks

• The cooperative information theory involves sharing assistance and resources among criminal justice agencies to enhance communication.
• An individual who serves as a member of two or more groups is known as a boundary spanner.

Informal Communication

• The primary purpose of the grapevine in an organization is to facilitate social connections and the informal sharing of information.

Legal Evidence Rules

• Exclusionary rules exclude certain types of evidence in criminal trials, typically to protect constitutional rights.

Organizational Communication Types

• A personal network is formed primarily for personal motives within an organization rather than official purposes.
• Non-verbal communication is considered extremely powerful in enhancing the communication process.

Communication Input Dynamics

• The term for the rate and complexity of communication inputs to an individual is known as information overload.
• The substance that we attempt to share through symbols in communication is referred to as content.