Uses techniques from psychological science and legal theory to explore
police interrogation in the United States
Understanding Police Interrogation provides a single comprehensive
source for understanding issues relating to police interrogation and
confession. It sheds light on the range of factors that may influence
the outcome of the interrogation of a suspect, which ones make it more
likely that a person will confess, and which may also inadvertently lead
to false confessions.
There is a significant psychological component to police interrogations,
as interrogators may try to build rapport with the suspect, or trick
them into thinking there is evidence against them that does not exist.
Also important is the extent to which the interrogator is convinced of
the suspect's guilt, a factor that has clear ramifications for today's
debates over treatment of black suspects and other people of color in
the criminal justice system.
The volume employs a totality of the circumstances approach, arguing
that a number of integrated factors, such as the characteristics of the
suspect, the characteristics of the interrogators, interrogation
techniques and location, community perceptions of law enforcement, and
expectations for jurors and judges, all contribute to the nature of
interrogations and the outcomes and perceptions of the criminal justice
system. The authors argue that by drawing on this approach we can better
explain the likelihood of interrogation outcomes, including true and
false confessions, and provide both scholars and practitioners with a
greater understanding of best practices going forward.
