Interviewing and Assessing the Offender Exam 2

Proxemics

The science of personal space

Intimate Distance

Physical Contact to 18 inches; causes the most anxiety

Personal Distance

18 inches to 4 feet; outside touching distance; forensic assessment interview

Social distance

4 to 12 feet; most social and business relationships take place

Public distance

12 to 25 feet; teaching ect.

The Reid Technique

A structured interview and interrogation process

Three primary stages to the process

Fact Analysis

The Investigative Interview

The Interrogation

Fact Analysis

Factual analysis consists of reviewing the case facts and evidence in an effort to identify the potential scope of suspects, the probability of the offender’s characteristics, and what their possible motive may have been

The Investigative Interview

Evaluate the investigative and behavioral information developed during the interview, as well as the information, facts and evidence developed during the investigation; eliminate the subject as truthful, continue the investigation of the subject, initiate the interrogation of the subject

The Interrogation - 9 steps

1. The positive confrontation

2. Theme Development

3. Handling denials

4. Overcoming objections

5. Procurement and retention of suspect’s attention

6. Handling the suspect’s passive mood

7. Presenting an alternative question

8. Having the suspect orally relate various details of the offense

9. Converting an oral confession to a written confession

PEACE technique

The peace technique of police interrogation is a less coercive and less manipulative alternative to the REID technique. It stands for: Participation and planning, engage and explain, account, closure, evaluate.

False Confession

A false confession is an admission of guilt for a crime for which the confessor is not responsible. False confessions can be induced through coercion or by the mental disorder or incompetency of the accused.

False Confessions (cont..)

False confessions generally occur as a result of misconduct or unethical behavior of the interviewer

Child Interviewing

A criminal defendant CAN be convicted on just the strength of the child’s interview and subsequent testimony absent any other evidence

Considerations regarding the child

• Development

• Culture and Development

• Disabilities

• Trauma

Considerations Regarding The Interview

• Types of questions

• Interview Aids/Media

Forensic Interview

1. Rapport-Building phase

2. Substantive phase

3. Closure phase

Interviewing Children

A forensic interview of a child is a developmentally sensitive and legally sound method of gathering factual information regarding allegations of abuse or exposure to violence

Other Considerations

• Multiple Nonduplicative Interviews

• Supervision and Peer Review

4th Amendment

the US constitution protects US citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures of property by the government. it also requires a warrant and probable cause in the event of searches and seizures

5th Amendment

Protection against illegal search and seizure

Protection against self-incrimination, double jeopardy. Protection of due process and right to a grand jury.

6th Amendment

right to be informed of charges, be present when witnesses speak in court, to call defense witnesses, to have a lawyer

14th Amendment

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the US; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is a tendency to selectively search for and emphasize information that is consistent with a preferred hypothesis, whereas opposing information is ignored or downgraded.