Maricopa Community Colleges  AJS205   19946-19962 
Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 06/06/89
AJS205 19946-19962 LEC 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s)
Criminal Justice Report Writing
Study, analysis, and practice in criminal justice report writing. Emphasis on purposes, terminology, types and contents of reports, communication skills, and demeanor as witness in court. Includes use of computers within criminal justice system. Prerequisites: ENG101, AJS275, and AJS109, or permission of instructor.
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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
 
AJS205   19946-19962 Criminal Justice Report Writing
1. Identify and describe the importance of communication skills in the criminal justice system. (I)
2. Spell and define terms used in the criminal justice system, to include legal, medical, and police terminology. (II)
3. Identify and describe the purposes of report writing. (III)
4. Identify and describe the various types of reports used in the criminal justice system, and demonstrate skill in executing such reports. (IV)
5. Identify the contents of a report and demonstrate the proper method of organizing and preparing reports. (V)
6. Discuss the types of communication used in the criminal justice system, to include interviewing and questioning, telephone etiquette, and the use of specific words, facial expressions, and body language. (VI)
7. Describe the proper demeanor of a witness in court, to include dress, posture, gestures, verbal skills, and etiquette. (VII)
8. Identify the types of computers used in the criminal justice system. (VIII)
9. Describe the use of computers in report writing, including terminology and software packages. (IX)
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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
 
AJS205   19946-19962 Criminal Justice Report Writing
    I. Communication Skills in the Criminal Justice System
        A. Communications
          1. Intra-departmental
          2. Inter-departmental
        B. Report writing
      II. Terminology used in the Criminal Justice System
          A. Legal terms
          B. Medical terms
          C. Police diction and usage
        III. Purposes of Report Writing
            A. Communicating important information to others
              1. Supervisor
              2. Prosecuting attorney
              3. Other appropriate personnel
            B. Permanent record
            C. Preparation for litigation
            D. Allocation of resources
            E. Policy changes
            F. Investigative sources
          IV. Types of Records
              A. Incidents
              B. Crimes/offenses
              C. Arrests
              D. Missing persons
              E. Automobiles
                1. Accidents
                2. Stolen vehicles
              F. Agencies
                1. Juvenile
                2. Probation
                3. Parole
                4. Law enforcement
            V. Contents of a Report
                A. Synopsis
                B. Date written
                C. Author of report
                  1. Title
                  2. Organization
                D. Participants
                  1. Names
                  2. Addresses
                  3. Telephone numbers
                  4. Titles
                  5. Other outstanding details
                E. Interview of individuals
                  1. Signed statements
                  2. Confessions
                F. Incident
                  1. Time
                  2. Date
                  3. Locality
                  4. Nature
                  5. Circumstances
                G. Supplemental materials
                  1. Reports
                  2. Records
                  3. Correspondence
                H. Status of investigation
                I. Conclusions and/or recommendations
                J. Questions to answer
                  1. Who?
                  2. What?
                  3. Where?
                  4. When?
                  5. Why?
                  6. How?
              VI. Types of Communication used in the Criminal Justice System
                  A. Interviews
                  B. Questions/intergations
                  C. Telephones
                  D. Specific terminology
                  E. Facial expressions
                  F. Body language
                VII. Proper Demeanor of a Witness in Court
                    A. Dress
                    B. Posture
                    C. Gestures
                    D. Verbal skills
                    E. Etiquette towards others
                      1. Members of the court
                      2. Witnesses
                      3. Suspect/s
                  VIII. Types of Computers used the Criminal Justice System
                      A. Microcomputers
                        1. Advantages
                        2. Disadvantages
                      B. Main frames
                        1. Advantages
                        2. Disadvantages
                      C. Data
                        1. Storage
                        2. Retrieval
                      D. Rapid communication
                    IX. Application of Computers in Report Writing
                        A. Word processor
                        B. Documentation
                          1. Offense
                          2. Incident report
                        C. Software packages for report writing
                        D. Modifications
                          1. Words
                          2. Sentences
                          3. Paragraphs
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