Interviewing suspects and false confessions

Question 1

What are the two main police interview techniques?

Answer 1

PEACE

Reid Technique

Question 2

What does Baldwin 1992’s PEACE acronym stand for?

Answer 2

P - Preparation and planning
E - Engage and explain
A - Account
C - Closure
E - Evaluation

Question 3

What are the issues with interviewing that led to Baldwin’s PEACE 5 step acronym?

Answer 3

Lack of preparation,
General ineptitude,
Assumption of guilt.

Question 4

What does the PEACE acronym suggest are the key things an interviewer need to do?

Answer 4

Be prepared before the interview
Build a rapport with interviewee
Have good social skills

Question 5

What did Clarke and Milne, 2001, find?

Answer 5

That officers using PEACE technique in interviews had an improved success rate of true confessions.

BUT - they suggested that there are still errors made and every interviewer should have to create interview plans and receive frequent training in PEACE technique.

Question 6

What are the 5 tiers of PEACE training?

Answer 6

Tier 1 – basic training for uncomplicated suspect interviews

Tier 2 – enhanced interview skills for more serious and complex crime

Tier 3 – specialist interviewers for major criminals such as murders, complex crime, national crime, complex evidence and interviews.

Tier 4 – Reviewer/assessor level for lower Tiers. Not used by many Forces.

Tier 5 – Tactical Interview Manager. Enhanced strategic and tactical training deployed to plan and develop interviews in serious criminal cases.

Question 7

What are the main outcomes of PEACE?

Answer 7

No longer focused on getting a confession
- (Soukara, Bull, Vrij, Turner, and Cherryman, 2009)

Collaboration between police, lawyers and psychologists leads to better interviews.
- (Kassin and Gudjonnsson, 2004)

Detectives say preparation is most important.
- (Soukara, Bull and Vrij, 2002)

Question 8

What are the two stages of the Reid technique?

Inbau, et al 1986

Answer 8

1. Gentle questioning about possible involvement to try and establish involvement.
2. Move onto the 9 step approach.

Question 9

What are the 9 steps?

Answer 9

1. Direct positive confrontation
2. Theme development
3. Handling denials
4. Overcoming objections
5. Procurement and retention of suspect’s attention
6. Handling the suspect’s mood
7. Creating an opportunity to confess
8. Development into a detailed confession
9. Get written confession

Question 10

Give an example of a false confession

Answer 10

The Birmingham Six
- The six served 16 years in jail after being wrongfully
convicted in 1975 of the murder of 21 people who died
after bombs exploded in pubs in Birmingham.

Stephan Kizko
- Convicted of the (sexual) murder of a young girl in
1976, Stephan Kizko spent 16 years in prison until he
was released in 1992.

Question 11

What is a false confession?

Answer 11

When a person admits to doing a crime they did not do

Question 12

How can you reduce the chance of a false confession?

Answer 12

Use PEACE and Reid techniques

Question 13

Why do people give false confessions?

Answer 13

Intimidation of the suspect by law enforcement

Use or threat of force by law enforcement

Compromised reasoning ability of the suspect - this could be due to exhaustion, stress, substance use or mental state

Fear, on the part of the suspect, that failure to confess will yield a harsher punishment