Family visit to jail scenario: questions for an interview

Closed Question 

Do you recognize this package? 

This question is aimed at establishing the link between the woman, her husband, and the trustee-inmate. The question will be used to lay the ground rules for the interview to help the woman understand the importance of telling the truth. In the same way, the question is aimed at creating a trusting relationship between the woman and the interrogator to get more information. The woman will be made aware of the surveillance that would be used as evidence to establish that she brought the package. If the woman confirms that she brought the contraband into the visitation area, the prison management will determine that this has been an ongoing operation. Admittance to recognizing the package will be important in understanding the role that the woman has been playing in this operation. The question will help the prison management to understand the nature and scope of the operation, considering that it may be a wider criminal ring operating in an out of jail.

Open Question 

Why did you use nonverbal and non-English communication while talking to your husband? 

This question is vital in moving towards the purpose of the interview as it helps the interrogator to understand the nature of the conversation. There are clear instructions that establish that all audio and visual communications are recorded. For this reason, the inmates and visitors ought to use a language that the prison staff will understand to enhance security. The failure to speak in English and engage in non-verbal conversation is suspicious as it points to a cover-up. The interrogator needs to know what the couple was talking about and how the contraband fits within this conversation. This question is essential, as it will pave the way for the interrogator to ask the woman about the context of their conversation. The woman may be forced to interpret their conversation, considering that the prison authorities have evidence against her. At the same time, the question will help the interrogator to understand if the conversation implicated the inmate-trustee.