6.4 Flashcards
(13 cards)
Why do innocent people falsely confess?
- Don’t believe they are a suspect
- They often don’t ask for a lawyer
- Investigators have trouble dropping initial theories & pursuing other leads
- Interrogators are more experienced than suspects
- They just want to leave the situation
- Think that there is evidence that proves that they are innocent and eventually that will come to light
- Real or perceived intimidation by law enforcement
- Real or perceived use of force by law enforcement during the interrogation
- Compromised reasoning ability of the suspect, due to exhaustion, stress, hunger, substance use, mental limitations, or limited education
- Devious interrogation techniques, such as untrue statements about the presence of incriminating evidence
- Fear that failure to confess will yield a harsher punishment
Who is most vulnerable to false confessions?
- Youth
- Intellectually disabled
- Mentally ill
What is brain fingerprinting?
- An objective, scientific method to detect concealed information stored in the brain
- Works by measuring electroencephalographic (EEG) brain responses, or brainwaves,
- sensors placed on the scalp = non-invasive
Guilty Knowledge Test
- asks questions of individuals that only someone who was directly involved in a situation would know to prove they were involved.
- Often done when individual is hooked up to a polygraph.
- Less prone to error if investigators carefully craft their questioning to “trap” those being questioned in a truth
Computer Voice Stress Test
- measures “voice stress” or small frequency changes in the voice of the person being interviewed.
- It is similar to a polygraph but more portable, less intrusive and easier to use
- voice stress analysis is no better than chance at detecting deception.
- No empirical evidence has backed its effectiveness.
What is a polygraph?
- A lie-detection device used to track changes in blood pressure, skin conductivity and breathing rate in those being questioned
- measures stress
What rights do you have as a Canadian?
The charter of rights and freedoms:
7. right to life, liberty and security
8. right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure
9. right to not be detained or imprisoned for no reason
10. the right on arrest or detention
(a) to be informed of the reasons
(b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay
(c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful
What is an interview?
An exploratory questioning that is used for evidence gathering of potential suspects or witnesses
What is an interrogation?
The act of questioning potential suspects or accessories to a crime in an accusatory manner to extract key information
What are the physical impacts of interrogations?
- physical techniques such as waterboarding and physical harm are not allowed in police interrogations
What are the bio-psycho impacts of interrogations?
- Stress caused by interrogations can impair memory and recall and can lead to sharing untrue statements or incorrect information
What is the difference between interviews and interrogations?
Interviews:
- non-accusatory
- question and answer format
- Elicit investigative and behavioural information
- Assess the subject’s truthfulness
- Profile the subject for possible interrogation
Interrogation:
- Accusatory
- discourage the suspect from talking until ready to tell the truth
- Elicit the truth
- Obtain a court-admissible confession
- No note-taking until after the suspect has told the truth
What are the three elements of the Reid Technique?
- Factual Analysis:
- reviewing case facts and evidence to identify offender characteristics & motive
- Looks for specific details that only the offender would know - Interviewing:
- A non-accusatory session, standard questions and provoking questions
- Tries to establish normal behaviour of the suspect - Interrogation:
- get accurate information from the suspect
- use the 9 steps
