Writing criminal justice reports is all about precision. Clear and unambiguous explanation is needed. As a criminal justice professional, the ramifications of your report-writing can be significant. Creating an accurate narrative that captures circumstances and events that occur is critical—but not easy. Therefore, learning the components of an effective criminal justice report is important. Within the field of criminal justice there are a wide variety of required reports. The information included in a police report might differ from what is needed in a probation report. Even within an agency, reports can vary depending on why they are being completed. Familiarizing yourself with the different types of reports used in the field of criminal justice can be quite useful when it is time to write a report.

Examine the types of reports that are used in the criminal justice system. Identify the key elements of each type of report. Consider how the reports might be applicable to your role or a role in the field of criminal justice in which you may be interested in working.

Provide a brief description of the two types of reports you selected. Then describe key components of each report. Finally, explain how the reports might be applicable to your role or a role in the field of criminal justice in which you may be interested in working.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Readings

• Johnson, W. A., Rettig, R. P., Scott, G. M., & Garrison, S. M. (2015). The criminal justice student writer’s manual (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
  • Chapter 11, ”Writing a Police Report”
  • Chapter 12, “Writing Probation and Parole Reports”