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Duped: Why Innocent People Confess – and Why We Believe Their Confessions
Why do people confess to crimes they did not commit? And, surely, those cases must be rare? In fact, it happens all the time--in police stations, workplaces, public schools, and the military. Psychologist Saul Kassin, the world's leading expert on false confessions, explains how interrogators trick innocent people into confessing, and then how the criminal justice system deludes us into believing these confessions.
Duped reveals how innocent men, women, and children, intensely stressed and befuddled by lawful weapons of psychological interrogation, are induced into confession, no matter how horrific the crime. By featuring riveting case studies, highly original research, work by the Innocence Project, and quotes from real-life exonerees, Kassin tells the story of how false confessions happen, and how they corrupt forensics, witnesses, and other evidence, force guilty pleas, and follow defendants for their entire lives-- even after they are exonerated by DNA.
Starting in the 1980's, Dr. Kassin pioneered the scientific study of interrogations and confessions. Since then, he has been on the forefront of research and advocacy for those wrongfully convicted by police-induced false confessions. Examining famous cases like the Central Park jogger case and Amanda Knox case, as well as stories of ordinary innocent people trapped into confession, Dr. Kassin exposes just how widespread this problem is. Concluding with actionable solutions and proposals for legislative reform, Duped shows why the stigma of confession persists and how we can reform the criminal justice system to make it stop.
Duped reveals how innocent men, women, and children, intensely stressed and befuddled by lawful weapons of psychological interrogation, are induced into confession, no matter how horrific the crime. By featuring riveting case studies, highly original research, work by the Innocence Project, and quotes from real-life exonerees, Kassin tells the story of how false confessions happen, and how they corrupt forensics, witnesses, and other evidence, force guilty pleas, and follow defendants for their entire lives-- even after they are exonerated by DNA.
Starting in the 1980's, Dr. Kassin pioneered the scientific study of interrogations and confessions. Since then, he has been on the forefront of research and advocacy for those wrongfully convicted by police-induced false confessions. Examining famous cases like the Central Park jogger case and Amanda Knox case, as well as stories of ordinary innocent people trapped into confession, Dr. Kassin exposes just how widespread this problem is. Concluding with actionable solutions and proposals for legislative reform, Duped shows why the stigma of confession persists and how we can reform the criminal justice system to make it stop.
563 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2022
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July 13, 2022Update What the police are about is solving crime, getting a confession is best. Any tactics they can use to get that confession and these horrible criminals off our streets are legit. What prosecutors are about is helping the police solve crimes, and the police are giving them a confession. What the judiciary about is helping the police get these important confessions and will do their best to look for loopholes and exceptions to weaken the rights, preferably permanently, including Miranda, of these horrible criminals that the police and prosecutors are doing their best to get off the streets to protect law-abiding us. Once the police have fixated themselves on the guilty party (sometimes only on a 'hunch', really) that's it. All tactics to get a confession legit (taped) and not so legit (not taped) will be used.
It all comes down to helping the goodies (the police) in any way any of these judicial agencies can to get the baddies to confess because 97% of all cases the could be brought before the court are settled with a plea bargain. Once the police have that confession and the lies they tell (you failed the lie detector test', 'you are on camera', 'people have told us', 'your DNA etc' you are fucked. It is legitimate for a police officer to lie, if a suspect should lie, that's perjury a criminal offence.
In many States all interrogations have to be taped, but not interviews. The difference is that an interview is when the suspect is not in custody and is free to leave. The police do not have to make it clear to the suspect that they are free to leave, they can give them the impression that they aren't, especially since they don't need to Mirandize the suspect until they are in custody. There seems to be no agreed-on definition of custody v not custody. Most of us would think that stuffed into a small room with a couple of detectives and the door shut, that we were not free to leave. That is just how the police want it.
That is just how the prosecutors want it too, good evidence from the police, a confession. Truth? Likelihood of suspect actually being guilty? Evidence that is not circumstantial? Forget that, got a confession!
That is just how the judiciary like it. Who would confess if they weren't guilty (everyone with enough pressure) so the jury can hear that the suspect confessed. Or, if the confession is not admissible that can come up to, the judge can tell the jury to disregard the confession. Because they don't, that' has been proved in experiments and statistics of real life cases. So the police bent the rules to get the confession? The judge will help there, waive the rules a bit, I mean after all it's getting a nasty criminal off the streets.
No one questions that the nasty criminal who is now on death row was actually picked up by the police on a 'hunch' and a whole unstoppable train followed on from that. Don't think DNA evidence will save you. Remember Amanda Knox? Her DNA wasn't present, the killer's was all over the place (he fled the country) including in faeces in an unflushed toilet. They said she had cleaned all her DNA evidence off. That's impossible.
I'm rereading chapter after chapter of this very dense, very important book. I have had my eyes opened and once seen, as they say, I will never be able to unsee it, or trust the police again. I didn't have much faith in them anyway, does anyone who is not rich, related or friends with someone powerful and of the same ethnic group as them. (I didn't say 'white' because around here it is 'black').
__________
This is easily a 10 star book, it is a horror story, a frightening book, to use a cliché, 'the stuff of nightmares'. It presents information that is hidden from us on how the police behave and how the prosecution is in cahoots with them is enlightening. It's not an opinion book, but all based on research and experiments. 97% of all people charged in the US take a plea deal. At least 23% of those people take a no-contest or Alford plea. That means that around a quarter of the people are saying they are innocent but that they understand the weight of evidence the police say they have about them (the police are allowed to lie about this, and do, most of the time, not rarely) will result in a conviction in a jury trial with almost certainly a longer sentence.
When the police say you have failed a polygraph test, it doesn't mean you have, they just might tell you that. If they say they have dna evidence, they may, but it may not be yours, if the police say they have witnesses who saw you, they may not have even one. They are allowed to lie, make up evidence, anything they want in order to get a confession for you.
Once they have that, don't think denying it later, saying you were under pressure, will count for much, because it won't, it won't count for hardly anything in court where the judge negates the confession, it's there in the jury's mind and what do we all think, "would he really have confessed if he didn't have anything to do with it?"
This is a frightening book. It is also a 1o star read.
__________
"We do not interrogate innocent people," was the very chilling statement made by Joe Buckley author and editor of the classic Criminal Interrogation and Confessions which teaches law enforcement officers interrogation. "This comprehensive text includes extensive material on the verbal and nonverbal behavior symptoms useful in distinguishing between truthful and untruthful subjects; methods for conducting non-accusatory interviews; a systematic interrogation procedure for obtaining admissions from the untruthful."
So he says, they never interrogate innocent people, meaning that the moment the police have you locked in their little room they believe you are guilty and set out to prove by any means necessary. You may not lie to the police, they are encouraged to lie to you if it will help get them the confession they need to solve the case, get promotion and a pay rise.
Here's an interesting fact: lie detector tests are only 57% accurate. Not much better than tossing a coin. And what is more you might pass the test, but the police might lie and say you didn't if it helps get them a confession from you because they "know" you are guilty. It's also pretty easy to overcome lie detector tests by either a) being a psychopath or b) stressing yourself enough that extra stress won't show - count backwards in 7s and bite your lip. Mostly the tester won't know you are using counter measures.
This book is very, very chilling
It all comes down to helping the goodies (the police) in any way any of these judicial agencies can to get the baddies to confess because 97% of all cases the could be brought before the court are settled with a plea bargain. Once the police have that confession and the lies they tell (you failed the lie detector test', 'you are on camera', 'people have told us', 'your DNA etc' you are fucked. It is legitimate for a police officer to lie, if a suspect should lie, that's perjury a criminal offence.
In many States all interrogations have to be taped, but not interviews. The difference is that an interview is when the suspect is not in custody and is free to leave. The police do not have to make it clear to the suspect that they are free to leave, they can give them the impression that they aren't, especially since they don't need to Mirandize the suspect until they are in custody. There seems to be no agreed-on definition of custody v not custody. Most of us would think that stuffed into a small room with a couple of detectives and the door shut, that we were not free to leave. That is just how the police want it.
That is just how the prosecutors want it too, good evidence from the police, a confession. Truth? Likelihood of suspect actually being guilty? Evidence that is not circumstantial? Forget that, got a confession!
That is just how the judiciary like it. Who would confess if they weren't guilty (everyone with enough pressure) so the jury can hear that the suspect confessed. Or, if the confession is not admissible that can come up to, the judge can tell the jury to disregard the confession. Because they don't, that' has been proved in experiments and statistics of real life cases. So the police bent the rules to get the confession? The judge will help there, waive the rules a bit, I mean after all it's getting a nasty criminal off the streets.
No one questions that the nasty criminal who is now on death row was actually picked up by the police on a 'hunch' and a whole unstoppable train followed on from that. Don't think DNA evidence will save you. Remember Amanda Knox? Her DNA wasn't present, the killer's was all over the place (he fled the country) including in faeces in an unflushed toilet. They said she had cleaned all her DNA evidence off. That's impossible.
I'm rereading chapter after chapter of this very dense, very important book. I have had my eyes opened and once seen, as they say, I will never be able to unsee it, or trust the police again. I didn't have much faith in them anyway, does anyone who is not rich, related or friends with someone powerful and of the same ethnic group as them. (I didn't say 'white' because around here it is 'black').
__________
This is easily a 10 star book, it is a horror story, a frightening book, to use a cliché, 'the stuff of nightmares'. It presents information that is hidden from us on how the police behave and how the prosecution is in cahoots with them is enlightening. It's not an opinion book, but all based on research and experiments. 97% of all people charged in the US take a plea deal. At least 23% of those people take a no-contest or Alford plea. That means that around a quarter of the people are saying they are innocent but that they understand the weight of evidence the police say they have about them (the police are allowed to lie about this, and do, most of the time, not rarely) will result in a conviction in a jury trial with almost certainly a longer sentence.
When the police say you have failed a polygraph test, it doesn't mean you have, they just might tell you that. If they say they have dna evidence, they may, but it may not be yours, if the police say they have witnesses who saw you, they may not have even one. They are allowed to lie, make up evidence, anything they want in order to get a confession for you.
Once they have that, don't think denying it later, saying you were under pressure, will count for much, because it won't, it won't count for hardly anything in court where the judge negates the confession, it's there in the jury's mind and what do we all think, "would he really have confessed if he didn't have anything to do with it?"
This is a frightening book. It is also a 1o star read.
__________
"We do not interrogate innocent people," was the very chilling statement made by Joe Buckley author and editor of the classic Criminal Interrogation and Confessions which teaches law enforcement officers interrogation. "This comprehensive text includes extensive material on the verbal and nonverbal behavior symptoms useful in distinguishing between truthful and untruthful subjects; methods for conducting non-accusatory interviews; a systematic interrogation procedure for obtaining admissions from the untruthful."
So he says, they never interrogate innocent people, meaning that the moment the police have you locked in their little room they believe you are guilty and set out to prove by any means necessary. You may not lie to the police, they are encouraged to lie to you if it will help get them the confession they need to solve the case, get promotion and a pay rise.
Here's an interesting fact: lie detector tests are only 57% accurate. Not much better than tossing a coin. And what is more you might pass the test, but the police might lie and say you didn't if it helps get them a confession from you because they "know" you are guilty. It's also pretty easy to overcome lie detector tests by either a) being a psychopath or b) stressing yourself enough that extra stress won't show - count backwards in 7s and bite your lip. Mostly the tester won't know you are using counter measures.
This book is very, very chilling
September 22, 2022
"Solving" crimes is sometimes criminal - and/or should be.
For as much as we love underdog and redemption stories about the innocently convicted, we sure don't mind convicting people on shaky - or no - grounds.
Maybe it's all the shitty crime novel and cop show porn? The indoctrination of the "good" cops stretching the law to get the "bad" criminals - even if there's no more evidence than a gut feeling or a hunch. Maybe it's as simple as fear?
Either way, it's a good thing people like Kassin exist. In "Duped" he pops a bunch of myths about false confessions, provides some sobering statistics, exposes junk "science," and shows how confirmation bias, unsubstantiated conviction, and (generously put) sketchy tactics work together to steamroll innocent people into confessing. And how, once that happens, those people are fucked. Royally fucked.
Most of the stuff in this book is not news. We have known how unreliable polygraphs are practically since the polygraph was invented. We know that eyewitness testimony is just about the most unreliable evidence in the history of evidence - despite being perceived as among the most, if not the most, convincing evidence by pretty much every jury ever. We know that cops are essentially as useless as the rest of us when it comes to determining the truth from lies (and we're all really crap at that, reliably mere percentage points from a 50/50 guess - cops just tend to be more confident that they are right, and they guess "lie" more frequently than the rest of us... not a great combo). We know that plea bargaining and charge stacking is straight up blackmail. And we know that just because someone confesses, that doesn't mean they are guilty.
Add to that, that as much as we pay lip service to the whole innocent until proven guilty bit, that's mostly hogwash. Add that cops are trained to disbelieve people they talk to, and trained to be confident that they are right. Also, that they are better than the rest of us are (the "wolves, sheep, and sheep dogs bit is not just a cute little allegory. Add that, in some countries, judges, district attorneys, and politicians get elected on being "tough" on crime, not the opposite, and are financially incentivized to convict people. Add that defense attorneys in many countries are, essentially and largely, incentivized to plead their clients out. And add that, in the U.S., it's totally fine for the cops to lie through their teeth to you in order to strong arm you into confessing.
Oh, and neither I nor the author have even mentioned the pre-trial punishment/psychological warfare of jails here. That's a whole 'nother can of worms...
The sum is that plenty of people confess to shit they didn't do, and legions more plead guilty to shit they didn't do. Sometimes - often even - it's the rational thing to do.
Moreover, the system does not allow for take-backsies. The parolee/probationer is generally required to continuously re-confess in order to not get sent back to jail as part of their "treatment" - hell, to even be considered for parole, the inmate has to show remorse (which is hard to do while claiming innocence). Even after the punishment is over, too many are denied all kinds of citizenship rights, denying them their active ability to change the system.
Kassin covers all this, and he shows that it's prevalent outside of the criminal justice system as well - at/in schools, in the corporate sphere, etc.
Yet, all this is allowed to perpetuate itself. In many ways we're pushing to make it worse - sentence inflation, reduced evidence burdens, and sensationalist media coverage (and social media coverage).
So how many "innocents" are there out there? How many confess to a crime they didn't commit? Nobody knows. What is certain, however, is that the few lucky unlucky who actually gets exonerated, who manages to do the impossible and prove a negative (ish), are merely the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Not that we'd know that from listening to the professionals who put innocents behind bars.
"Duped" and what it says is too important for me to even bother with actually reviewing the structure of the book or its writing. It's just not what one takes away from reading it (it's fine on both points, but a little too repetitive for my taste).
If I have to criticize one thing, it would be that Kassin relies a bit too much on specific individual cases in telling his story. I'm pretty sure I know why he does this, he is, after all, well aware that we all find eyewitness testimony both relatable and reliable. In order to tell this story, to show how fucked up the whole shebang is, he had to reach for the human story.
Unfortunately, "the other" side knows this as well, and they have a lot of practice.
Recommended!
Recommended!
Recommended!
P.S. While the book mostly focuses on the U.S., it is universally applicable. Not only does the U.S. train or help train half the world's police forces, the cultural influence should not be underestimated. Besides, hell, try to find out how many democratic countries (never mind the non-democratic ones) are actively trying to scale down punishments, in how many countries politicians are running on being less tough on crime... yeah, thought so. D.S.
P.P.S. This book and what it covers makes me mad, in case that isn't obvious... D.D.S.
For as much as we love underdog and redemption stories about the innocently convicted, we sure don't mind convicting people on shaky - or no - grounds.
Maybe it's all the shitty crime novel and cop show porn? The indoctrination of the "good" cops stretching the law to get the "bad" criminals - even if there's no more evidence than a gut feeling or a hunch. Maybe it's as simple as fear?
Either way, it's a good thing people like Kassin exist. In "Duped" he pops a bunch of myths about false confessions, provides some sobering statistics, exposes junk "science," and shows how confirmation bias, unsubstantiated conviction, and (generously put) sketchy tactics work together to steamroll innocent people into confessing. And how, once that happens, those people are fucked. Royally fucked.
Most of the stuff in this book is not news. We have known how unreliable polygraphs are practically since the polygraph was invented. We know that eyewitness testimony is just about the most unreliable evidence in the history of evidence - despite being perceived as among the most, if not the most, convincing evidence by pretty much every jury ever. We know that cops are essentially as useless as the rest of us when it comes to determining the truth from lies (and we're all really crap at that, reliably mere percentage points from a 50/50 guess - cops just tend to be more confident that they are right, and they guess "lie" more frequently than the rest of us... not a great combo). We know that plea bargaining and charge stacking is straight up blackmail. And we know that just because someone confesses, that doesn't mean they are guilty.
Add to that, that as much as we pay lip service to the whole innocent until proven guilty bit, that's mostly hogwash. Add that cops are trained to disbelieve people they talk to, and trained to be confident that they are right. Also, that they are better than the rest of us are (the "wolves, sheep, and sheep dogs bit is not just a cute little allegory. Add that, in some countries, judges, district attorneys, and politicians get elected on being "tough" on crime, not the opposite, and are financially incentivized to convict people. Add that defense attorneys in many countries are, essentially and largely, incentivized to plead their clients out. And add that, in the U.S., it's totally fine for the cops to lie through their teeth to you in order to strong arm you into confessing.
Oh, and neither I nor the author have even mentioned the pre-trial punishment/psychological warfare of jails here. That's a whole 'nother can of worms...
The sum is that plenty of people confess to shit they didn't do, and legions more plead guilty to shit they didn't do. Sometimes - often even - it's the rational thing to do.
Moreover, the system does not allow for take-backsies. The parolee/probationer is generally required to continuously re-confess in order to not get sent back to jail as part of their "treatment" - hell, to even be considered for parole, the inmate has to show remorse (which is hard to do while claiming innocence). Even after the punishment is over, too many are denied all kinds of citizenship rights, denying them their active ability to change the system.
Kassin covers all this, and he shows that it's prevalent outside of the criminal justice system as well - at/in schools, in the corporate sphere, etc.
Yet, all this is allowed to perpetuate itself. In many ways we're pushing to make it worse - sentence inflation, reduced evidence burdens, and sensationalist media coverage (and social media coverage).
So how many "innocents" are there out there? How many confess to a crime they didn't commit? Nobody knows. What is certain, however, is that the few lucky unlucky who actually gets exonerated, who manages to do the impossible and prove a negative (ish), are merely the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Not that we'd know that from listening to the professionals who put innocents behind bars.
"Duped" and what it says is too important for me to even bother with actually reviewing the structure of the book or its writing. It's just not what one takes away from reading it (it's fine on both points, but a little too repetitive for my taste).
If I have to criticize one thing, it would be that Kassin relies a bit too much on specific individual cases in telling his story. I'm pretty sure I know why he does this, he is, after all, well aware that we all find eyewitness testimony both relatable and reliable. In order to tell this story, to show how fucked up the whole shebang is, he had to reach for the human story.
Unfortunately, "the other" side knows this as well, and they have a lot of practice.
Recommended!
Recommended!
Recommended!
P.S. While the book mostly focuses on the U.S., it is universally applicable. Not only does the U.S. train or help train half the world's police forces, the cultural influence should not be underestimated. Besides, hell, try to find out how many democratic countries (never mind the non-democratic ones) are actively trying to scale down punishments, in how many countries politicians are running on being less tough on crime... yeah, thought so. D.S.
P.P.S. This book and what it covers makes me mad, in case that isn't obvious... D.D.S.
August 15, 2022
Duped by Saul Kassin
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
I came to this book because of watching the opening installment of "Mind over Murder" on HBO. That documentary tells the crazy story of how five people confessed to being together at a murder they were not at. Many of the individuals created memories to correspond to their confessions. Only one of the six accused and convicted murderers refused to confess and he got the death penalty for a crime that DNA evidence showed that he could not have committed.
This is crazy stuff. Prior to the documentary and this book, I also would have gone along with the idea that if someone confessed to a crime they must have done it. Fortunately, after the advent of DNA evidence in the 1990s, we now have a kind of check on confessions in some cases.
"Duped" does a great job of laying out the sociological research to explain how false confessions are made to happen and what effect they have on the system. They happen to immature and/or low IQ people, generally, although people who trust authority must also be swept up in the system. They happen because the police are very good at generating and staging confessions, and generally are not much better than the average citizen in picking out liars, although they have a great deal of confidence in the truth detection abilities. The author explains that the method many police are trained in incentives the police to pick out the likely suspect and then use various techniques, such as isolation, lengthy interrogations, feeding information about the crime to the suspect, until some suspects begin feeding the information back to the police. Another technique is simply lying. The law permits the police to lie to suspects, although most people don't know this, and trusting individuals confronted with a police officer telling them falsely that their fingerprints are on the murder weapon will accept the premise and begin doubting their own recollection.
Some suspects simply want an interrogation to end and confess to end, thinking that trial will show they are innocent. Unfortunately, as "Duped" points out, once a confession is in the bag, there is a tendency for experts and witnesses who learn of the confession to find or discover evidence that corroborates the confession.
The worst thing about false confessions is that real killers go free. The author provides several examples of false confessions ending investigations that subsequently were linked to the real killer through DNA evidence.
The author makes several sensible suggestions, such as recording the entirety of the interrogation and stopping the police from lying.
This was an interesting book, which, frankly, has shaken a lot of my faith in the criminal justice system.
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
I came to this book because of watching the opening installment of "Mind over Murder" on HBO. That documentary tells the crazy story of how five people confessed to being together at a murder they were not at. Many of the individuals created memories to correspond to their confessions. Only one of the six accused and convicted murderers refused to confess and he got the death penalty for a crime that DNA evidence showed that he could not have committed.
This is crazy stuff. Prior to the documentary and this book, I also would have gone along with the idea that if someone confessed to a crime they must have done it. Fortunately, after the advent of DNA evidence in the 1990s, we now have a kind of check on confessions in some cases.
"Duped" does a great job of laying out the sociological research to explain how false confessions are made to happen and what effect they have on the system. They happen to immature and/or low IQ people, generally, although people who trust authority must also be swept up in the system. They happen because the police are very good at generating and staging confessions, and generally are not much better than the average citizen in picking out liars, although they have a great deal of confidence in the truth detection abilities. The author explains that the method many police are trained in incentives the police to pick out the likely suspect and then use various techniques, such as isolation, lengthy interrogations, feeding information about the crime to the suspect, until some suspects begin feeding the information back to the police. Another technique is simply lying. The law permits the police to lie to suspects, although most people don't know this, and trusting individuals confronted with a police officer telling them falsely that their fingerprints are on the murder weapon will accept the premise and begin doubting their own recollection.
Some suspects simply want an interrogation to end and confess to end, thinking that trial will show they are innocent. Unfortunately, as "Duped" points out, once a confession is in the bag, there is a tendency for experts and witnesses who learn of the confession to find or discover evidence that corroborates the confession.
The worst thing about false confessions is that real killers go free. The author provides several examples of false confessions ending investigations that subsequently were linked to the real killer through DNA evidence.
The author makes several sensible suggestions, such as recording the entirety of the interrogation and stopping the police from lying.
This was an interesting book, which, frankly, has shaken a lot of my faith in the criminal justice system.
July 8, 2022
Duped: Why Innocent People Confess—and Why We Believe Their Confessions is a stunning book. It reveals the phenomenon of interrogations, coercions, and convictions that lead to false confessions. Actual photos are included throughout.
I questioned, prior to reading this book, WHY. Why would someone confess to something they didn’t do? I thought, under NO circumstances would I confess to something I didn’t do. Ever. But these studies and explanations of confessors, interrogators, and the criminal justice system, by Psychologist Saul Kassin, made me take a step back. A huge step back.
This book showcases numerous examples of people who have falsely confessed to crimes. Some of them I was familiar with (such as Amanda Knox) but for the most part, the rest were unknown to me. I was shocked at how unfair some interrogations are and how faulty the criminal justice system can be.
The book illuminates 1. Why innocent people confess, 2. Why we believe them, and 3. How to fix the system. After reading this book I believe you will agree that some policies and practices must be reformed. I also believe you’ll view confessions in a whole new light.
First Line: It was a September morning in 2002.
Genre: Non-fiction, Forensic Psychology
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
I questioned, prior to reading this book, WHY. Why would someone confess to something they didn’t do? I thought, under NO circumstances would I confess to something I didn’t do. Ever. But these studies and explanations of confessors, interrogators, and the criminal justice system, by Psychologist Saul Kassin, made me take a step back. A huge step back.
This book showcases numerous examples of people who have falsely confessed to crimes. Some of them I was familiar with (such as Amanda Knox) but for the most part, the rest were unknown to me. I was shocked at how unfair some interrogations are and how faulty the criminal justice system can be.
The book illuminates 1. Why innocent people confess, 2. Why we believe them, and 3. How to fix the system. After reading this book I believe you will agree that some policies and practices must be reformed. I also believe you’ll view confessions in a whole new light.
First Line: It was a September morning in 2002.
Genre: Non-fiction, Forensic Psychology
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
October 24, 2022
I never know how to rate nonfiction books, but it was good! I mean, it made me really angry and disappointed in our penal system, but hey what’s new!
This book was an interesting mix of sociology, psychology, criminology, the legal system, all set within vignettes of historical and current cases. Kassin’s credibility is emphasized by his extensive involvement in studying false confessions and advocating for those who had been convicted based on their false confession.
Throughout the book he debunked a lot of junk science and junk theories about interrogation tactics that police use. Especially important because a lot of people don’t realize the lies that police can use to draw out a confession.
Being a scientist and having a background in science, I am amazed at how much of the interrogation process and subsequent case investigation is utterly lacking in the scientific method. I mean, the scientific method is really a way to think and structure inquiries whose ultimate goal is to have a validated conclusion that can be repeated and upheld. But the legal justice system just rocks on vibes and feelings and intuition - none of which cannot be upheld time and time again, hence all of the horrible instances of innocent people being incriminated for things they did not commit but were forced to confess to. Kassin explores all of these components in his book drawing on real stories.
One of the main takeaways I had that I want to share with you is to be very, very, very familiar with your rights and the tactics that police use during interrogations. Knowing that they can lie to you, knowing that they can push you to the absolute worst states, will help you be prepared and know how to protect yourself.
This book was an interesting mix of sociology, psychology, criminology, the legal system, all set within vignettes of historical and current cases. Kassin’s credibility is emphasized by his extensive involvement in studying false confessions and advocating for those who had been convicted based on their false confession.
Throughout the book he debunked a lot of junk science and junk theories about interrogation tactics that police use. Especially important because a lot of people don’t realize the lies that police can use to draw out a confession.
Being a scientist and having a background in science, I am amazed at how much of the interrogation process and subsequent case investigation is utterly lacking in the scientific method. I mean, the scientific method is really a way to think and structure inquiries whose ultimate goal is to have a validated conclusion that can be repeated and upheld. But the legal justice system just rocks on vibes and feelings and intuition - none of which cannot be upheld time and time again, hence all of the horrible instances of innocent people being incriminated for things they did not commit but were forced to confess to. Kassin explores all of these components in his book drawing on real stories.
One of the main takeaways I had that I want to share with you is to be very, very, very familiar with your rights and the tactics that police use during interrogations. Knowing that they can lie to you, knowing that they can push you to the absolute worst states, will help you be prepared and know how to protect yourself.
October 10, 2025
The need to know how to assert your Constitutional rights is vital; however though this book does so it needs to be edited so that is presented in a more easily digestible format. Still read this book because bad things happen to innocent people because people who are innocent don’t think they need to be protected because the truth will prevail. Spoiler alert, the American judicial system is not based on what is true but on getting a conviction at all costs and lying and deception by police and prosecutors is legally allowed and rewarded. It can happen to you and to anyone you know innocence be damned.
April 7, 2022
When riveted to true crime in books or on TV I have often wondered how and why innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit, sometimes more than once, even after being in prison for years! Often these crimes are horrendous, including murder. Not only does the wrong person confess but the right person is free. This strange yet natural phenomenon is described in great detail in this book written by the world's top expert in the field psychologist Saul Kassin who has been present at numerous trials and has conducted many fascinating experiments and research, often with alarming results. He details this...and so much more...in this revealing book.
Topics include interrogation methods, many of which practically extract confessions (of which there are three types); heartbreaking juvenile injustice; DNA exoneration; withdrawing false confessions; polygraphs; the need for emotional support; stereotyping; the psychology of lying; lie detection workshops; video recording in interrogations; "perceptual set"; "adversarial allegiance effects"; ramifications such as imprisonment; being "freed" when the real criminal is caught, yet not really free, with inefficient financial recompense; and the many changes which need to be made to correct these injustices. Multitudinous cases are outlined, some known, others less so but all crushing. Photographs emphasize a personal quality and remind us that these are real people.
Kassin's experiments are detailed as well (mock crimes, cues), often with surprising results. The amount of information I learned is staggering! I knew that some have and do use egregious interrogation methods, justify findings on hunches and gut feelings (perhaps the juvenile "interviewed" was 15 years old and looked guilty when he was actually embarrassed and frightened) and false evidence ploys but its prevalence in North America compared with elsewhere is mind blowing. After reading this book I am more thankful than ever for organizations and people who work to find the guilty and defend the innocent, knowing the the psychology behind reasons for false confessions...being duped.
My sincere thank you to Rowman & Littlefield for the privilege of reading this critically important and compelling book. Absolutely outstanding, especially for those with an interest in true crime and psychology.
Topics include interrogation methods, many of which practically extract confessions (of which there are three types); heartbreaking juvenile injustice; DNA exoneration; withdrawing false confessions; polygraphs; the need for emotional support; stereotyping; the psychology of lying; lie detection workshops; video recording in interrogations; "perceptual set"; "adversarial allegiance effects"; ramifications such as imprisonment; being "freed" when the real criminal is caught, yet not really free, with inefficient financial recompense; and the many changes which need to be made to correct these injustices. Multitudinous cases are outlined, some known, others less so but all crushing. Photographs emphasize a personal quality and remind us that these are real people.
Kassin's experiments are detailed as well (mock crimes, cues), often with surprising results. The amount of information I learned is staggering! I knew that some have and do use egregious interrogation methods, justify findings on hunches and gut feelings (perhaps the juvenile "interviewed" was 15 years old and looked guilty when he was actually embarrassed and frightened) and false evidence ploys but its prevalence in North America compared with elsewhere is mind blowing. After reading this book I am more thankful than ever for organizations and people who work to find the guilty and defend the innocent, knowing the the psychology behind reasons for false confessions...being duped.
My sincere thank you to Rowman & Littlefield for the privilege of reading this critically important and compelling book. Absolutely outstanding, especially for those with an interest in true crime and psychology.
December 31, 2022
This book is a testament to debunking the common misconception that people often believe about false confessors: "I would never confess to a crime that I did not commit".
Throughout the book the author explores many different aspects of confessions broadly, interrogation techniques and history, the erosion of rights such as Miranda, and how after someone has confessed to a crime they had not committed it forever taints the process of criminal justice not only for the false confessor but also for those that seek justice for the crime committed.
I recommend this book to anyone regardless of interest in the criminal justice system because this affects us all and can affect people directly if they become apart of an investigation in which they're innocent or apart of a jury that involves a confession. A better equipped and educated populace allows for more discussion and awareness of this problem in the criminal justice system and makes possible for change in the future.
Throughout the book the author explores many different aspects of confessions broadly, interrogation techniques and history, the erosion of rights such as Miranda, and how after someone has confessed to a crime they had not committed it forever taints the process of criminal justice not only for the false confessor but also for those that seek justice for the crime committed.
I recommend this book to anyone regardless of interest in the criminal justice system because this affects us all and can affect people directly if they become apart of an investigation in which they're innocent or apart of a jury that involves a confession. A better equipped and educated populace allows for more discussion and awareness of this problem in the criminal justice system and makes possible for change in the future.
May 14, 2024
Good book. Slightly repetitive.
June 16, 2024
A brilliant and important read, but prepare to be infuriated. It took me a while to finish just because it was emotionally draining, and I needed breaks.
July 24, 2025
A very interesting topic, with some points well researched and backed up with studies, but also a lot of personal stories from people who made false confessions and those stories get repeated verbatim several times which got repetitive and annoying.
September 15, 2022
Wow! I learned so much from this book. It's truly crazy how broken "the system" is. I think it's an informative and important read and I would encourage everyone to read it.
September 15, 2022
Don't be Duped!
The facts in this book need to known by every American. Our police & justice system need serious reforms. It is unbelievable & unjust that "suspects" can be lied to & effectively tortured in order to force a (false) confession...in the US of A! And that judges & juries accept these false & forced confessions & convict people who then get a death or life sentence. This book will get your blood boiling--and should!
The facts in this book need to known by every American. Our police & justice system need serious reforms. It is unbelievable & unjust that "suspects" can be lied to & effectively tortured in order to force a (false) confession...in the US of A! And that judges & juries accept these false & forced confessions & convict people who then get a death or life sentence. This book will get your blood boiling--and should!
June 18, 2023
3.5 stars. This book was absolutely fascinating, but it strayed into repetitiveness. That, along with a plethora of errors that should have easily been caught by a proofreader, lead me to believe that it wasn't properly edited. Not the end of the world, but distracting and annoying enough for me to dock my rating.
Probably not the book for you if you don't enjoy reading about legal cases and technicalities, as I do.
Probably not the book for you if you don't enjoy reading about legal cases and technicalities, as I do.
August 11, 2022
Excellent and Insightful
I cannot more highly recommend this book for all Americans to read. It is a clarion call as to avoiding the insidious pitfalls of the American legal system. Everyone should not only read this book but also recommend it to others as a safeguard to protecting their legal rights. Kudos to Kassin for providing us with these insights!
I cannot more highly recommend this book for all Americans to read. It is a clarion call as to avoiding the insidious pitfalls of the American legal system. Everyone should not only read this book but also recommend it to others as a safeguard to protecting their legal rights. Kudos to Kassin for providing us with these insights!
January 13, 2025
Terrifying. Nightmare inducing. Read with "You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent" by Justin Brooks and then just sit with the ultimate American philosophical question: Why are cops?
May 13, 2023
3 stars. I think that, if needed, this book can be summed up in the following sentence: NEVER, EVER say a word to the cops without a lawyer present. Turns out that's easier said than done. Ever since I read about Amanda Knox in Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers, I've had a healthy fear of being presumed guilty for any crime because I am naturally a nervous person who won't make eye contact and doesn't know how to act in serious situations.
Kassin, a scientific researcher who's made false confessions his entire area of expertise, goes into depth specifically on the Reid Technique, the primary interrogation method used by police once they identify a suspect. This technique is one of the biggest reasons people confess to crimes they didn't commit. To name a few:
- suspects are mentally stressed to the point of confusion;
- suspects' supposed crimes were downplayed ("We don't blame you for killing that guy; he deserved it, and any jury would see it that way as well");
- suspects were subtly fed information about the crime during the interrogation process that they didn't know but eventually "remembered" with the encouragement of the cops;
- suspects are outright lied to about evidence ("You failed the polygraph", "We have photos of you at the scene", "Your DNA showed up on the murder weapon")
- suspects are forced into taking the Alford plea instead of dealing with further litigation and lawsuit costs.
It's truly terrifying. There is so much covered in this book, no single review will be able to give a decent synopsis. Other things Kassin covers:
- lie detectors;
- the reliability of cops vs. random people to identify when someone is lying (spoiler alert: trained cops are wrong 50% of the time, just as frequently as random people, but they have a higher confidence in their answers and tend to believe false confessions more frequently);
- the Alford plea
- how DNA evidence rarely convinces a prosecuting office to back off (instead, they just change their story);
- how forced false confessions still carry a lot of weight with a jury;
- the history of Miranda and its erosion (one of the more interesting topics, in my opinion);
- and many, many case studies.
I only really have two complaints with this book. The first is that I didn't care for the narrator of the audiobook, which is a minor thing. The second is the repetition. Several case studies were referenced many times, sometimes word-for-word repeated, which made me think my audiobook had skipped and I was looking for my place again. The good news is that if you've forgotten who he was talking about, he covers it again.
Kassin, a scientific researcher who's made false confessions his entire area of expertise, goes into depth specifically on the Reid Technique, the primary interrogation method used by police once they identify a suspect. This technique is one of the biggest reasons people confess to crimes they didn't commit. To name a few:
- suspects are mentally stressed to the point of confusion;
- suspects' supposed crimes were downplayed ("We don't blame you for killing that guy; he deserved it, and any jury would see it that way as well");
- suspects were subtly fed information about the crime during the interrogation process that they didn't know but eventually "remembered" with the encouragement of the cops;
- suspects are outright lied to about evidence ("You failed the polygraph", "We have photos of you at the scene", "Your DNA showed up on the murder weapon")
- suspects are forced into taking the Alford plea instead of dealing with further litigation and lawsuit costs.
It's truly terrifying. There is so much covered in this book, no single review will be able to give a decent synopsis. Other things Kassin covers:
- lie detectors;
- the reliability of cops vs. random people to identify when someone is lying (spoiler alert: trained cops are wrong 50% of the time, just as frequently as random people, but they have a higher confidence in their answers and tend to believe false confessions more frequently);
- the Alford plea
- how DNA evidence rarely convinces a prosecuting office to back off (instead, they just change their story);
- how forced false confessions still carry a lot of weight with a jury;
- the history of Miranda and its erosion (one of the more interesting topics, in my opinion);
- and many, many case studies.
I only really have two complaints with this book. The first is that I didn't care for the narrator of the audiobook, which is a minor thing. The second is the repetition. Several case studies were referenced many times, sometimes word-for-word repeated, which made me think my audiobook had skipped and I was looking for my place again. The good news is that if you've forgotten who he was talking about, he covers it again.
December 21, 2025
4.5 Stars
I was completely shocked to learn that a large majority of those in U.S., prisons were lied to and coerced into confessing to crimes they did NOT commit. For example, even though police/detectives knew that the suspect's DNA was not found anywhere near the scene of the crime, many would lie to the suspect and tell them their DNA was all over the crime scene and would also wear them down with little to no food and water until they confessed.
Having placed more importance on coerced confessions over scientific evidence, many DAs would not call for immediate release after DNA exoneration. Some were released not long after the information had come to light, but many more spent a significant part of their life in the prison system. As of the publication of this book in 2023, I believe there is an inmate still in prison for over 30 years, with no crime scene DNA and only a coerced confession.
Not so shocking was the racial component and the fact that many confessions were obtained on minors whose parents were not notified that their child was in police custody. All of the Central Park Five (at the time of their arrests) were black teens aged 14, 14, 15, 15, and 16. No where at the crime scene was any of their DNA and the police did not disclose that to the media.
I was completely shocked to learn that a large majority of those in U.S., prisons were lied to and coerced into confessing to crimes they did NOT commit. For example, even though police/detectives knew that the suspect's DNA was not found anywhere near the scene of the crime, many would lie to the suspect and tell them their DNA was all over the crime scene and would also wear them down with little to no food and water until they confessed.
Having placed more importance on coerced confessions over scientific evidence, many DAs would not call for immediate release after DNA exoneration. Some were released not long after the information had come to light, but many more spent a significant part of their life in the prison system. As of the publication of this book in 2023, I believe there is an inmate still in prison for over 30 years, with no crime scene DNA and only a coerced confession.
Not so shocking was the racial component and the fact that many confessions were obtained on minors whose parents were not notified that their child was in police custody. All of the Central Park Five (at the time of their arrests) were black teens aged 14, 14, 15, 15, and 16. No where at the crime scene was any of their DNA and the police did not disclose that to the media.
August 22, 2022
Kassin is an expert on false confessions and this book attempts to share all that knowledge and years of research with us! Kassin looks into reasons why someone might make a false confession, how common false confessions are, and ways to set up policies to prevent this from happening. I did deduct a couple of stars because, to me, this felt more like an academic study than the narrative non-fiction I typically lean towards. I did appreciate that Kassin shared various case histories throughout the book to allow those of us who need "a face with the name" of statistics to connect more with all the data he shared. At times, I did feel like points were made repetitively as well. All in all, a very enlightening work, especially for those who are not well-versed in the frequency of false confessions and the reasons behind them. I learned quite a bit!
February 7, 2024
This is a great book to read for just about anyone. Of course, if you are interested in the justice system the way it can be reformed, human psychology, this would be more in your lane. But it is also useful for considering daily situations. What if you are accused of something at school or work? Could you end up confessing even if you did not do it? What if your child is accused of something? The answer can be terrifying.
The book goes into depth, using examples and scientific studies to show how an innocent person can confess to the worst things imaginable, while perfectly innocent. Some are more vulnerable, but everyone has a breaking point. The book will infuriate you, but in a good way, while also providing education on what to do and how the system can be made better.
Highly recommended.
The book goes into depth, using examples and scientific studies to show how an innocent person can confess to the worst things imaginable, while perfectly innocent. Some are more vulnerable, but everyone has a breaking point. The book will infuriate you, but in a good way, while also providing education on what to do and how the system can be made better.
Highly recommended.
July 27, 2023
This book was recommended to me. I wasn't surprised by the methods used by the police as I'm familiar. I understand the police are under a lot of pressure to solve crimes, and this is part of the problem. My big take away was something I've thought for a long time. The desire to close cases quickly brought by the public at the expense of long term, complicated investigations to determine the actual perpetrator and the difficulty prosecutors have admitting they are in the wrong results in wrongful convictions. This book was well written.
November 11, 2022
Book 47 of 2022 (audio)
Enlightening and original read. My only strike: some of the material is redundant. But, man, talk about a well-research, insightful book into something most of us never think about. Many interesting case studies about how false confessions work, how they impact the justice system and society, and how they can apply to anyone. Backed up with extensive and interesting psychology studies.
Enlightening and original read. My only strike: some of the material is redundant. But, man, talk about a well-research, insightful book into something most of us never think about. Many interesting case studies about how false confessions work, how they impact the justice system and society, and how they can apply to anyone. Backed up with extensive and interesting psychology studies.
February 6, 2024
3.5/5
While this was informative, I just didn't really get what I was looking for. I wanted more psychology about why people false confess instead of it all just boiling down to they are tricked really, really well. I think this is more of a me problem than this books problem, but it was all so unsatisfying. Maybe the questions I have just haven't been answered yet. Overall, it is interesting but not deep enough for me.
While this was informative, I just didn't really get what I was looking for. I wanted more psychology about why people false confess instead of it all just boiling down to they are tricked really, really well. I think this is more of a me problem than this books problem, but it was all so unsatisfying. Maybe the questions I have just haven't been answered yet. Overall, it is interesting but not deep enough for me.
October 9, 2022
Very good integration of psychology and criminal justice in explaining why people who are not guilty of crimes may confess anyways. The biggest distraction was the authors frequent repetition of the same stories at various points throughout the book. A good edit could have cut the book down in size, without losing anything.
September 28, 2023
Kassin has written a truly important book that highlights a problem in the American justice system: many police and prosecutors are more focused on recording prosecutions than in finding the truth and convicting the right person. His experience and research allows him to understand and explain the problem, and then to offer viable solutions.
July 10, 2024
makes a lot of very good points and cites a ton of real cases that make it very compelling and persuasive. BUT. whole anecdotes get repeated with the exact same phrasing over and over and it became really grating. also lots of weird israel cameos? overall, this would have been more effective as a shorter book.
December 18, 2024
A little repetitive at times, and very long but ultimately the messaging in the book is noble and moving. It's a look at the underlying psychology of all the actors in criminal cases including judges, prosecutors, defendants, police, and even forensic specialists and why they are also vulnerable to biases and fallacies.
April 22, 2025
The points Kassin makes (that innocent people do actually confess, that interrogations can set up the wrong incentives for this, and that we overweight confessions as evidence) are all incredibly important insights. This book is also about twice as long as it needs to be, which really detracts from the message.
August 25, 2025
Only read the first 20% of the ebook. While starting very interesting as it details the many methods of how to obtain false confessions, the book was too detailed on specific psychological and sociological tactics for a leisure read. Great book for a class assignment or select chapters, just not right for something of my personal interest.
February 8, 2023
Truly awesome book. Kassin explains how the police procure false confessions, why "corroboration" is tainted by the false confessions, even including physical evidence and fingerprints, and why experts are needed to explain this to juries.
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