Effective Communication Communication is the way humans are able to exchange ideas, thoughts and feelings, whether it be by talking, writing or through physical gestures, it’s this verbal and non verbal form of communication that differs humans from any other species. According to Wallace & Roberson (2009), the definition and primary purpose of communication is best defined as the exchanging of information between two or more people, and this process includes several different elements. Proper communication is an essential tool in any line of work, but it is especially crucial within law enforcement agencies. Information passed on must be clearly understood as well as dispersed to others, since important decisions are often made based on such details. In this paper I will explore the process of verbal and nonverbal communication and its components. Define the difference between listening and hearing, and explain the formal and informal channels of communication within criminal justice organizations and the different barriers to effective communication within the same agencies. Lastly I will discuss some strategies that could overcome some of the barriers within the criminal justice system. The process of communicating with one another encompasses many different forms. This includes verbal, written and physical communication and it is either done in a formal or informal way. Proper communication consist of five different elements which must all take place to ensure the accuracy and proper understanding of the information being shared. The first element is transmitting an idea or the process of forming several thoughts and wanting to express them. Second is sending that idea through verbal, written or physical action, third, receiving the message occurs when all the information from the transmitter has been received. The next step is to fully understand and comprehend the message that was send and finally one should provide feedback. Feedback is the last step in the communication circle and it lets the sender know that the original idea has been understood or that further clarification is needed. In order for the key components of communication to be effective the person sending the message should be brief, concise and express organized thoughts without the use of jargons or negative body language (Cadre, n.d.). If a person is not hearing impaired, the process of hearing happens daily without any effort from the receiver; it is just the act of perceiving surrounding sounds and noises. On the other hand, listening requires a conscious effort from the person receiving that sound. If the person chooses to be involved, the brain can then go ahead and analyzed what the different sounds are. Effective communication requires active listening, because a person can simply hear someone speak, and have no clue of what they just said. This can occur because of a language barrier, but more often than not is due to a person not paying attention to the conversation. According to Wallace and Roberson (2009), listening is often interrupted by many different barriers; these can be emotional or physical barriers. If the persons mind is somewhere else this step will never be accomplished, because the words being spoken will just become background noise to their pre occupied mind. Channels of communication refer to the methods and flow of information from one person to another. All organizations use two channels of communication, formal or informal. Formal channels of communication must fallow a strict chain of command, and this form of communication is