Confessions are considered as being one of the notable types of evidence used as part of the legal system, as it establishes a front through which individuals can accept their involvement in a specific crime or criminal activity. The chapter examines two critical aspects of consideration as part of the justice system, which is interrogations and confessions. Inquiries are seen as methods through which police officers can extract information from suspects with the intention being to ensure that the suspects confess to their involvement in the criminal activities that are being investigated. Costanzo (2004) takes note of the fact that police have a higher level of preference for confessions when compared to any other type of evidence, as they help in saving time and provide prosecutors with a guarantee of a conviction.
The chapter goes ahead to examine the modern interrogation room with the view of trying to get a clear understanding of the psychological techniques used as part of the information extraction process. An example that has been identified and discussed is the right cop-bad cop approach where interrogators work as a team with one cop being harsh on the suspect while the other shows sympathy. Costanzo (2004) takes into account the fact that the adoptive use of psychological techniques to maximize on information extraction is much more likely to lead to a confession depending on whether the suspect was involved in the crime. However, the chapter also takes note of the fact that the lack of proactive measures during the interrogation process has led to an increase in false confessions. False confessionals are on the rise due to the use of unconventional psychological techniques, which often result in a situation where a suspect's only option would involve confessing to a crime that he or she may not have been engaged (Kassin & Gudjonsson, 2004).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Costanzo (2004) indicate that approximately 27% of wrong convictions occur as a direct result of false confessions with a majority of these cases involving murder, rape, and arson. From this perspective, it is clear that interrogations, although it may be considered as being somewhat useful, pose a significant challenge in seeking to deal with the issue of false confessions. The chapter reflects on the fact that a considerable number of false disclosures are often coerced from the suspects during the interrogation process. The different types of false confessions that have been explored as part of the chapter are instructional-coerced, instructional-voluntary, internalized-coerced, and internalized-voluntary. In every kind of false disclosures, the challenge is trying to determine whether the information given by the suspects can be considered as being truthful or accurate.
One of the critical questions that have been asked in the chapter is, "Should interrogators be allowed to lie?" The chapter examines the use of false evidence ploys by police officers in the United States, which has been seen as being somewhat useful in seeking to induce a suspect to confess for his or her engagement in crime. However, the main question that ought to be examined is whether indeed lying should be permitted irrespective of the fact that it often leads to positive results. The chapter provides critical strategies for dealing with the problem of false confessions, which include a video recording of interrogations, time limits, expert testimony, and “appropriate adult” safeguards. The expectation is that each of these strategies would help minimize the overall possibility that a suspect may be coerced towards making a false confession from any perspective.
Application of Chapter Information to Issues in Psychology and the Legal System
The application of the information presented in the chapter would be of great value towards strengthening the effectiveness of the legal system, especially in seeking to minimize instances where the psychological techniques used to lead to wrongful convictions. The chapter examines the potential impacts associated with false confessions not only from the perspective of the suspects but also on the integrity of the entire system. The primary expectation is that this would help create a well-structured approach aimed at the adoption of recommended strategies to help minimize the overall possibility of wrongful convictions. Turner (2019) indicates that wrongful convictions often occur based on the manner in which evidence is gathered and presented, which is a process that is often characterized by inappropriate actions or techniques.
In this case, coercion ought to be viewed as a negative technique in interrogation, as it leads to a high possibility of false confessions that are used as part of a wrongful conviction. Costanzo (2004) builds on the understanding that interrogations ought to be conducted in a manner that protects the interests of the suspects. Using such information, law enforcement officers would focus much of their attention on seeking to find alternative ways through which to extract data from the suspects without provoking the possibility of a false confession. For example, the chapter provides some form of justification for the idea of using lying as a technique during interrogations. The initial expectation is that lying will help interrogators gain adequate ground in the process of having to advance their capacities in trying to extract information from suspects to achieve best possible outcomes.
Analysis of Chapter Information from a Christ-Centered Perspective
Interrogations and confession have a significant role in obtaining factual information regarding an individual's actions. In most cases, revelations are preceded by interrogations, which involve a series of questions asked to find the underlying truths behind any given subject. From a Christ-centered perspective, confessions should be an individual choice and that no individual should be forced to confession. In that case, interrogations are not regarded as ethical considering that they focus on forcing an individual to confess out of fear or harassment from the interrogator. According to Costanzo (2004), confession is regarded as obedience from an individual's inner self that prompts the need to make truthful confessions regarding a given issue. In that case, engaging in a forceful interrogation may result in the provision of false disclosures. Interrogators are required to focus on ensuring that individuals understand the need for making confessions and not impose fear for them to confess.
Confessions are an indicator of remorsefulness, thus the basis for forgiveness. From the given chapter, confessions are regarded as evidence that is used against the suspect in different trials. From a Christ centred perspective, disclosures should not be used as evidence considering that an individual making confession is remorseful of their actions and thus requires forgiveness. The use of confessions as evidence results in a situation where suspects tend to provide false disclosures. The interrogators should focus on the provision of truthful information not engage in any form of lying with the intentions of cornering the suspects to confess. Lying is considered unethical and goes against the teachings of Christ, which focuses on truth. In that case, false information from the suspect and from the interrogators is an aspect that is acceptable.
References
Costanzo, M. (2004). Chapter 2: Interrogations and Confessions. In Psychology and law: An empirical perspective . Thomson/Wadsworth.
Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2004). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest , 5 (2), 33-67.
Turner, J. I. (2019). Regulating Interrogations and Excluding Confessions in the United States: Balancing Individual Rights and the Search for the Truth. In Do, Exclusionary Rules Ensure a Fair Trial? (pp. 93-129). Springer, Cham.
