COMMUNICATING WITH PRISON INMATES

Basics of Communication Sender – message - receiver Verbal & Non Verbal communication

Main Features of Social Communication

• • • • • It is purposeful It can be determined It is adaptable It is co-ordinated It can be improved

How is communicating with inmates different?

• • • • • • • • Context Relationship Us vs them Agendas Personalities Prison life Purpose Other dynamics

Active Listening

• In communication and conversation, the parties involved will ‘reinforce’ one another for participating and speaking through a number of behaviours.

Verbal Communication

• • Surface structure - syntax Deep structure - meaning • • Speaking involves the transformation of deep structure into surface structure.

Listening involves the transformation of surface structure into deep structure.

• Paralanguage -the elements of speech: “It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”. • Signalling ( + Guggles) - the system used to achieve conversation control and time sharing.

Summarising

• Constructing a summary of what has been said, picking salient points and feed it back to speaker.

Reflecting back

• Simple reflection been said, using the person’s exact words with an inflexion.

– Repeating parts of what has • Amplified reflection - A statement made in a more extreme fashion than the respondent has done. • Double-sided Reflection – Repeating parts of what has been said when these are incongruent

Querying

• Unless you are certain what the other person is saying, we have to ask. • • •

Probing

• Using a person’s words to question what is being said. Requesting clarification in the case of ambiguity.

Extension probe Clarification probe Non-verbal probe

continue – extends understanding – explain meaning – encourage speaker to

Questioning

"the answer you get depends on the question you ask"

• Open ended questions • Closed ended questions • Forced choice • Multiple questions • Leading / misleading questions

• • • • • • • • • •

Remember:

Do talk someone down Do look at the situation from the person’s point of view Do allow the person to express feelings Avoid vocal tone of sarcasm Avoid tone of incredulity Avoid tone of impatience Avoid too extreme an overstatement Avoid making a fool of the person Avoid presenting discrepancy in an indigestible format Do offer adequate explanations of what you are doing and why.

• • • • • •

Non-verbal communication

Appearance & Facial expression

Do not wear or carry things which are potential weapons. Do not rely on a hefty physique. Do watch for signs of anger (e.g. frown, tight lips, clenched teeth, changes in pitch, volume).

Do not show it too much if you feel angry.

Do appear concerned and have a serious expression.

Do use a calm tone of voice.

Gesture

• Emblems – gestures which have specific verbal translation.

• Illustrators – used to complement, emphasise or repeat the verbal content.

• Regulators – serve the purpose of signalling turn-taking in conversation.

Posture

• Postural Echo- People who are in tune/out of tune tend to match / mismatch each other non verbally.

• Do match ‘friendly’ behaviours.

• Do not match threatening behaviours.

• Do not allow too much mismatch in moods.

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Proxemics

The physical closeness of parties involved. Depends on type of social interaction & culture.

• • Do not get too close to clients.

Do watch out for signs that the client is uncomfortable with your nearness.

Territoriality

• • • Personal space – area surrounding the body.

Personal territory – larger area which a person controls, owns, or uses exclusively.

Home territory – areas otherwise public spaces which are used by a particular group.

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Orientation

Direction which people take towards one another.

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Co-operation Conversation Competition

• Do sit or stand alongside or at an angle. • Do not get into an ‘up-down’ position.

• Do not turn your back on, or walk in front of, a potentially violent person.

• Do not let the exit get blocked.

Eye contact

Continuous staring can be challenging and threatening, and may indicate active dominance.

• • • Do change the situation in some way if the way the client is looking at you makes you feel uneasy.

Do not overdo the eye contact. Do have a natural way to break eye contact.

Touch

Touch is an ambiguous signal and is easily misinterpreted. Aggressive touch invites aggression but even sympathetic touch can break a barrier and lead to violence.

• Do think twice before touching a client especially if he is emotionally upset.

Environmental characteristics

• • Physical size of area used Furniture in room • •

Dominance Rituals

Rituals which enable a person to lead another.

The niceties of courtesy should not be ignored.

Intention Movements

A person’s posture or gestures can signal an intention or wish to attack, which is being suppressed or redirected at that moment.

• • • • • • • Do watch out for these signs: Tensing of muscles, especially fists, arms, neck.

Client becoming very restless – or very still.

Swinging foot back as though about to kick or stand up.

Arm raised and then lowered.

Top half of body jerks as though about to stand up / move forward.

‘Vacuum Gestures’ - complete actions but no contact with other person e.g. hand chop, ‘strangling’ action.

‘Redirection Gestures’ - complete actions but redirected against self/object e.g. clutch own throat, bite own knuckle.

CLOSURE Importance of proper closure.