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Police-induced confessions, risk factors, and recommendations: looking ahead
Saul M Kassin1, Steven A Drizin, Thomas Grisso
1John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY, USA. skassin@jjay.cuny.edu
Law and Human Behavior
|January 30, 2010
Summary
Police interrogation tactics can influence confessions and jury decisions. This review calls for mandatory electronic recording of interrogations to improve confession evidence reliability.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Law
Background:
- Confessions are highly influential in legal proceedings.
- Police interrogation tactics can lead to false confessions.
- Existing literature highlights factors influencing confession validity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on police-induced confessions.
- To identify factors influencing confessions and jury perceptions.
- To propose reforms for interrogation practices.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on police-induced confessions.
- Analysis of suspect characteristics and interrogation tactics.
- Examination of confession evidence effects on juries.
Main Results:
- Suspect characteristics and interrogation tactics significantly impact confessions.
- Confessions, especially when withdrawn, elicit strong jury responses.
- Videotaping interrogations may affect case dispositions.
Conclusions:
- Mandatory electronic recording of interrogations is recommended.
- Further research on non-custodial methods like the 'Mr. Big' technique is needed.
- Improving the diagnostic value of confession evidence is crucial for justice.
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