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.

- Represents the latest advances of the role of psychological factors in inducing potentially unreliable self-incriminating behavior - Chapters are authored by a diverse group psychologists, criminologists, and legal scholars who have contributed significantly to the collective understanding of the pressures that insidiously operate when the goal of law enforcement is to elicit self-incriminating behavior from suspected criminals - Reviews and analyzes the extant literature in this area as well as discussing how this knowledge can be used to help bring about needed changes in the legal system

First published in 1997, Interrogation and Confession has two important concerns. The first is with the structures and strategies that have evolved within the criminal justice system not only to entrench the confession as key item of prosecution evidence but also to legitimate the custodial interrogation of suspects by law enforcement personnel. The second major concern is with kinds of police-suspect encounter that appear in official accounts of custodial interrogation. Based upon a systematic analysis of prosecution papers associated with over 650 Crown Court cases, the author provides vivid and challenging insights into the nature of police-suspect relations and closely examines: the extent to which evidence is constructed (rather than elicited); how far formal rules impact upon the character and form of police-suspect relations during interrogation; the circumstances in which suspects elect or decline to cooperate with the police; and the extent to which records of custodial interrogation can be said to be complete, accurate and reliable.

This volume, a sequel to The Psychology of Interrogations, Confessions and Testimony which is widely acclaimed by both scientists and practitioners, brings the field completely up-to-date and focuses in particular on aspects of vulnerability, confabulation and false confessions. The is an unrivalled integration of scientific knowledge of the psychological processes and research relating to interrogation, with the practical investigative and legal issues that bear upon obtaining, and using in court, evidence from interrogations of suspects. * Accessible style which will appeal to academics, students and practitioners * Authoritative integration of theory, research, practical implications and vivid case illustration * Coverage of topical issues like confabulation, false memory, and false confessions Part of the Wiley Series in The Psychology of Crime, Policing and Law

Shuy provides specific advice in this book about how to conduct interrogations that will yield credible evidence. Other topics presented here include the analysis of how language is used and how constitutional rights are and are not protected.

Forensic psychology is a thriving subject with a dedicated focus beginning to emerge on the issue of crime from the discipline of psychology. Applied Criminal Psychology provides the reader with a comprehensive and practical guide to psychological research and techniques. Major topics include: (1) mental disorders and criminal behavior, antisocial behavior and personality disorders, the role of the forensic psychologist, risk and assessment; (2) the detection of deceit, eyewitness testimony, cognitive interviewing, forensic hypnosis, false confessions; and (3) criminal profiling, psychological.

This authoritative set provides a comprehensive overview of issues and trends in crime, law enforcement, courts, and corrections that encompass the field of criminal justice studies in the United States. This work offers a thorough introduction to the field of criminal justice, including types of crime; policing; courts and sentencing; landmark legal decisions; and local, state, and federal corrections systems—and the key topics and issues within each of these important areas. It provides a complete overview and understanding of the many terms, jobs, procedures, and issues surrounding this growing field of study. Another major focus of the work is to examine ethical questions related to policing and courts, trial procedures, law enforcement and corrections agencies and responsibilities, and the complexion of criminal justice in the United States in the 21st century. Finally, this title emphasizes coverage of such politically charged topics as drug trafficking and substance abuse, immigration, environmental protection, government surveillance and civil rights, deadly force, mass incarceration, police militarization, organized crime, gangs, wrongful convictions, racial disparities in sentencing, and privatization of the U.S. prison system.

Since the early 2000s, a growing body of scientific studies in neuropathology, neurology, biomechanics, statistics, criminology and psychology has cast doubt on the validity of the automatic diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), more recently termed Abusive Head Trauma (AHT). It has been shown that accidental short falls, as well as a wide range of medical conditions, might cause the same symptoms. Nevertheless, mischaracterized diagnoses and wrongful convictions continue to this day. Bringing together contributions from a multidisciplinary expert panel of 32 professionals across 8 countries in 16 different specialties, this landmark book tackles the highly controversial topic of SBS, which lies at the intersection of medicine, science, and law. With comprehensive coverage across multiple disciplines, it explains the scientific evidence challenging SBS and advances efforts to evaluate how deaths and serious brain injuries in infants should be analysed and investigated.