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False confessions: causes, consequences, and implications
1University of San Francisco School of Law, 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA. rleo@usfca.edu
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|September 22, 2009
Summary
Police-induced false confessions are a leading cause of wrongful convictions. This review examines empirical research on the causes, types, and consequences of false confessions to improve justice system accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Wrongful convictions are a significant issue in the justice system.
- DNA exonerations have revealed that false confessions contribute to wrongful convictions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review empirical research on the causes and correlates of false confessions.
- To discuss the psychological types and elicitation processes of false confessions.
- To explore the implications of research for reducing false confessions and improving evidence accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Review of empirical research on false confessions.
- Analysis of psychological processes in false confession elicitation.
- Discussion of different types of false confessions and their impact.
Main Results:
- False confessions are a primary driver of wrongful convictions.
- Three sequential processes (misclassification, coercion, contamination) lead to false confessions.
- Three types of false confessions exist: voluntary, compliant, and persuaded.
Conclusions:
- Empirical research provides insights into reducing false confessions.
- Improving the accuracy of confession evidence is crucial for the justice system.
- Addressing police-induced false confessions can enhance the fairness of trials.
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