NCJ Number
210430
Date Published
2005
Length
364 pages
Annotation
This book is a practical interviewing guide for those who work with people in the criminal justice system, including police officers, correctional officers, probation and parole officers, counselors, and social workers.
Abstract
The first three chapters introduce basic concepts in interviewing in a criminal justice setting. An introductory chapter provides an overview of interviewing concepts that include interviewing skills, interviewing purposes, the distinction between an interview and an interrogation, barriers to communication, interview biases, and structured interviews. The second of the first three chapters addresses preliminary interviewing considerations, and the third chapter focuses on diversity and special needs among interviewees. The fourth chapter provides a detailed description of the interviewing skills model that is the basis of the book. The primary components of the interviewing skills model are understanding, prediction, and action. "Understanding" requires that the interviewer accurately identify the facts, feelings, experiences, behaviors, and intentions of the interviewee. This leads to "prediction," which involves the interviewer's estimating or speculating about the most appropriate course of action during or in concluding the interview. This prediction leads to "action," which should reflect an accurate understanding and realistic predictions about what has occurred in the interview. Chapters 5 through 11 discuss specific interviewing skills, including skillfully communicating accurate empathy, the skillful use of speed and pacing, summarization skills, immediacy skills, concreteness skills, confrontation skills, and assertion skills. The final chapter draws together all of the skills and techniques of interviewing and discusses the future of interviewing. Each chapter outlines the learning objectives of the chapter and provides a summary of chapter content, study questions, and learning exercises.