The SAGE Guide to Writing in Corrections

Steven Hougland, Jennifer M. Allen

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781544364551
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781544364599
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Social Sciences

As part of the SAGE Guide to Writing series, The SAGE Guide to Writing in Corrections,1e, by Steven Hougland and Jennifer Allen, focuses on teaching students how to write in the academic setting while introducing them to a number of other professional writings specific to the correctional profession, such as the pre-sentence investigation report, contact sheets, court status reports, incident reports, rehabilitation and therapy. Covering correctional institutions as well as community corrections, the goal is to interweave professional and technical writing, academic writing, and information literacy, with the result being a stronger, more confident report writer and student in corrections.  This text will be a concise supplemental writing book in courses focused on writing in the criminal justice discipline, report writing, or in introductory corrections courses. It is part of a series of books on this topic that will span criminal justice, policing, corrections, and research methods.

Chapter 1 The Basics of Writing

There is an adage in criminal justice that “if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen.” This means that criminal justice documents must provide enough details to explain what actually happened at a scene or during an incident or court hearing. Missing details or information that is written vaguely may result in a case being dismissed. Further, a poorly written report could open the door for a mistrial, a not guilty verdict, or the criminal justice worker may appear to have made up the details or to be unsure of the reported details when testifying on the stand. Therefore, it is important that those working in criminal justice understand the complexities of writing quality reports.

Corrections officers are required to write many different types of narrative and descriptive documents. In corrections, the basic incident report documents the officer’s or inmate’s activity; records the actions and testimony of victims, suspects, and witnesses; serves as a legal account of an event; and is used for court testimony or in parole hearings. Being the best writer possible is a necessity for professionals in the criminal justice field.

The need to write well has never been more important. Relating facts about an incident and investigation goes far beyond the eyes of the supervisor and agency. A report will convict criminals, encourage the support of the community, and become a guide by which the public and the courts will measure their respect for the criminal justice system and its workers.

Additionally, corrections reports are public record in many states. As such, they are available for all to review. Attorneys, paralegals, and staff personnel on both sides of a case, as well as judges and journalists, may read criminal justice reports. Imagine writing a report that is read by a Justice of the Supreme Court!

Similarly, criminal justice professors often require students to complete writing assignments such as essays, case analyses, and legal briefs. These assignments help develop thinking skills as well as research and writing skills required in criminal justice careers.

This chapter introduces students to common writing assignments in the criminal justice and criminology classroom as well as those required in corrections.

Basic Grammar Rules

Studies suggest successful writing skills take a long time to develop. Learning to write an effective, extended text is a vastly complex process that often requires more than two decades of training. A skilled, professional writer progresses beyond writing to tell a story to crafting the narrative with the audience’s interpretation of the text in mind (Kellogg, 2008). Paragraphs and sentences form the basis of the text. Writing clear, short sentences is an important element of technical writing.

Any discussion on writing begins with the sentence.

The Sentence

The sentence is comprised of a subject and a predicate, and the unit must make complete sense. In other words, a sentence must be able to stand alone as a complete thought. Sentences can be one word or a complex combination of words. Criminal justice professionals write all documents using complete sentences, usually in the first person with no slang or jargon. On occasion, corrections documents may be written in the third person, although still with complete sentences that include a subject and a predicate. Sentences should be brief with no structural, grammatical, or spelling errors. The writer must write clear, complete sentences so that the audience can easily understand the writing.

The Subject

The subject is the word that states who or what does the action or is acted upon by the verb. The subject can be expressed or implied. Rephrase the following sentences as questions to identify the subject. So, for number 1, for example, one could ask, “Who reported the crime?” The answer, of course, is the victim, and in this sentence, “victim” functions as the subject.

Examples:

1. The victim reported the crime.
   Who reported the crime? The victim.
2. I responded to the scene.
3. I arrested the defendant.
4. The Corrections Officer read the inmate his Miranda rights.
5. The inmate entered the cell.

If a sentence requires a subject and a predicate, can one word function as a complete sentence? Yes, if that word is a command. In a command, the subject is the implied or understood “you.”

Examples:

1. “Stop!”
   The subject is not clearly stated, but it is implied or understood to be “you.”
2. “Sit down!”
3. “Halt!”

The Verb

The verb is the word or group of words that describe what action is taking place.

Examples:

1. The Corrections Officer drove.
   Drove tells what action the subject (Corrections Officer) did.
2. The Corrections Officer was dispatched to Pod C.
   Was dispatched tells what action is taking place.
3. I restrained the inmate.
4. Stop!
   Remember the subject in a command is the implied “you.”
5. I did not respond to the call.

Standing Alone and Making Complete Sense

A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb, and it must make complete sense. The sentence must be a complete idea; it must be able to stand alone as a complete thought.

Examples:

Exercise 1.1

Identify the subject and verb in each of the following examples:

I arrested the defendant.

• I (subject) + arrested (verb).

1. The inmate entered the victim’s cell.
2. The inmate smashed the victim’s radio.
3. He removed a canteen card from the cell.
4. The stereo is valued at $300.00.
5. I processed the scene for evidence.
6. The inmate punched the victim in the face.
7. The inmate removed the victim’s property from the cell.
8. I responded to the scene.
9. I moved the inmate.
10. I transported the defendant to Central Booking for processing.

See answers on p. 20.

Structural Errors

Some of the most common structural errors in criminal justice and academic writing are fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices. But once identified, they are easily corrected.

Fragments

A fragment is an incomplete sentence. All of the following are fragments:

1. Entered the cell. (no subject)
2. Processed the scene. (no subject)
3. I the scene. (no verb)
4. At the scene. (no subject or verb)
5. I processed. (lacks completeness)

Fragments can be corrected in one of several ways. After identifying the missing element (subject, verb, or completeness), simply insert the missing element to complete the sentence.

Run-On Sentences

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences improperly joined without punctuation.

• Example 1: We arrived at the scene Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.
• Sentence 1: We arrived at the scene.
• Sentence 2: Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.
• Revision Strategy 1. Create two independent sentences.
• Revision 1. We arrived at the scene. Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.
• Revision Strategy 2. Join the independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, for, nor, or, so, or yet.
• Revision 2. We arrived at the scene, and Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.
• Punctuation Alert! Always place the comma before the coordinating conjunction.
• Revision Strategy 3. Join the independent clauses with a semicolon if they are closely related ideas.
• Revision 3. We arrived at the scene; Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.

Comma Splices

A comma splice is two independent clauses joined improperly with a comma.

• Example 1. We arrived at the scene, Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.
• Revision Strategy 1. Separate the two sentences by adding a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction Corrections Officer.
• Revision 1. We arrived at the scene, and Corrections Officer Smith interviewed the victim.

Punctuation

All sentences contain punctuation. Punctuation helps the audience understand the writer’s meaning.

Commas

The most frequently and misused punctuation mark is the comma. Use a comma to join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, yet, so). The comma is always placed before the conjunction.

A comma is used to separate a dependent clause from an independent clause.

Examples:

1. I arrested the defendant, and I booked him into the jail.
   Two independent clauses:
   1. I arrested the defendant.
   2. I booked him into the jail.
   A comma is required before the coordinating conjunction.
2. I arrested the defendant and booked him into the jail.
   One independent clause: I arrested the defendant.
   One dependent clause: booked him into the jail. (no subject)
   A comma is not used.

More examples:

1. I interviewed the victim, and she gave a sworn statement.
2. I interviewed the victim, but she refused to give a sworn statement.

A comma is used to separate items in a list. Place a comma before the and at the end of the series.

Examples:

1. Deputies Smith, Jones, and White responded to the call. (correct)
2. Deputies Smith, Jones and White responded to the call. (incorrect)

Commas are also used after conjunctive adverbs (however, therefore, etc.). However, if the phrase is very short—fewer th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Acknowledgements
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Brief Contents
• Detailed Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Chapter 1 The Basics of Writing
• Chapter 2 What Is Information Literacy
• Chapter 3 Reports From Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Officers
• Chapter 4 Incident Reports and Beyond
• Chapter 5 Other Documents: Memos, Letters, Emails, Cover Letters, and Resumes
• Chapter 6 Academic Paper Formats: What is APA Formatting
• Chapter 7 The Academic Research Paper
• References