Spring 2026
Interviewing and Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professions
Interview and Report Writing (CJLE 1327 9J1) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face to Face /Dual Credit PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION Instruction and skill development in interviewing, note-taking, and report writing in the criminal justice context. Development of skills to conduct investigations by interviewing witnesses, victims, and suspects properly. Organization of information regarding incidents into effective written reports. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: • Demonstrate techniques for conducting interviews in support of incident investigations; collecting information admissible in court using interview techniques. • Demonstrate appropriate note-taking skills. • Create reports that convey all pertinent information. Approved: MF 12/21/2025 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Mary Franklin Email: mafranklin@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-382-1333 Office Location: CTE Rm. 16 Office Hours: 11:31 a.m. – 12:54 p.m. Monday - Friday REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Report Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals: By Larry S. Miller and John T. Whitehead 6th edition, ISBN# 978-1138288935. ATTENDANCE POLICY Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Regular participation is necessary to pass this course. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified date as listed in the College Calendar on the Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. Approved: MF 12/21/2025 COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) 01/20/26 - 01/23/26 Review Syllabus and Course Introduction: The Importance of Report Writing Textbook: Chapter 1 January 20, 2026 Chapter 1 Assignment January 23, 2026 01/26/26 - 01/30/26 Starting to Write The Face Page and Narrative Textbook: Chapter 2 January 26, 2026 Textbook: Chapter 3 January 28, 2026 Chapter 2 & Chapter 3 Assignment January 30, 2026 02/02/26 - 02/06/26 The Narrative – The Continuation Page and Follow-up Report Textbook: Chapter 4 February 2, 2026 Chapter 4 Assignment February 4, 2026 Chapter 1- 4 Exam February 6, 2026 02/09/26 - 02/12/26 Habits that Make for Speedy Writing Textbook: Chapter 5 February 09, 2026 Chapter 5 Assignment February 12, 2026 02/17/26 - 02/20/26 Other Types of Writing Textbook: Chapter 6 February 17, 2026 Chapter 6 Assignment February 20, 2026 02/23/26 - 02/27/26 Reading and Correcting Reports Textbook: Chapter 7 February 23, 2026 Chapter 7 Assignment February 27, 2026 03/02/26 - 03/06/26 Simplified Study of Grammar Textbook: Chapter 8 March 2, 2026 Chapter 8 Assignment March 5, 2026 Exam 2 March 6, 2026 03/09/26 - 03/13/26 Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break 03/16/26 - 03/20/26 Avoiding Errors in Sentence Structure Textbook: Chapter 9 March 16, 2026 Chapter 9 Assignment March 20, 2026 03/23/26 - 03/27/26 Punctuation Work Textbook: Chapter 10 March 23, 2026 Chapter 10 Assignment March 27, 2026 03/30/26 - 04/02/26 Breaking the Spelling Jinx Textbook: Chapter 11 March 30, 2026 Chapter 11 Assignment April 2, 2026 04/07/26 - 04/10/26 Using or Abusing Words Textbook: Chapter 12 April 7, 2026 Chapter 12 Assignment April 9, 2026 Chapter 9 –12 Exam April 10, 2026 04/13/26 - 04/17/26 Abbreviating and Capitalizing Textbook: Chapter 13 April 13, 2026 Chapter 13 Assignment April 17, 2026 04/20/26 - 04/24/26 Innovations in Criminal Justice Report Writing Textbook: Chapter 14 April 20, 2026 Chapter 14 Assignment April 24, 2026 04/27/26 - 05/01/26 Innovations in Criminal Justice Report Writing Online Writing Exercise May 1, 2026 05/04/26 - 05/06/26 Course Review and Final Exam Review Course Review and Final Exam Review May 4, 2026 Final Exam May 6, 2026 Due by 3:40 p.m. COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Assignments 40% • Quiz/Exams 40% • Online Writing Exercise 20% GRADE SCALE 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 D 0-59 F Approved: MF 12/21/2025 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their course. Approved: MF 12/21/2025 STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION I DO NOT accept late work. All assignments are due as scheduled. There are a few exceptions, but those will be discussed on a case-by-case basis (ex. medical situations such as hospitalization). Preferred means of communication: Email: mafranklin@lit.edu or phone: 409-382-1333. Communication Response Time: Expected response time for communications with instructor is 24- 48 hours (except weekends). Grading Response Time: Assignments should be returned with grades within 1 week. All assignments and tests will be located in Google Classroom. Approved: MF 12/21/2025