Juveniles possess less maturity, intelligence, and competence than
adults, heightening their vulnerability in the justice system. For this
reason, states try juveniles in separate courts and use different
sentencing standards than for adults. Yet, when police bring kids in for
questioning, they use the same interrogation tactics they use for
adults, including trickery, deception, and lying to elicit confessions
or to produce incriminating evidence against the defendants.
In Kids, Cops, and Confessions, Barry Feld offers the first report of
what actually happens when police question juveniles. Drawing on
remarkable data, Feld analyzes interrogation tapes and transcripts,
police reports, juvenile court filings and sentences, and probation and
sentencing reports, describing in rich detail what actually happens in
the interrogation room. Contrasting routine interrogation and false
confessions enables police, lawyers, and judges to identify
interrogations that require enhanced scrutiny, to adopt policies to
protect citizens, and to assure reliability and integrity of the justice
system. Feld has produced an invaluable look at how the justice system
really works.