Mitchell has a phd in clinical psychology from the university of south florida. A recent book by neuroscientist shane omara makes crystal clear how dead wrong trump is about torture. This volume addresses interrogation and torture at a unique moment. At one time, coercive interrogation played a role only in philosophical disputes about consequentialism, in. I was the first reporter to enumerate the roles of the two key psychologists, james elmer mitchell and bruce jessen, as architects of the coercive interrogation tactics, in a 2007 story in vanity. Central intelligence agency covertly funded psychological experiments designed to weaken a subjects resistance to interrogation. Coerced confessions have long been a staple of tv crime dramas, and have also been the subject of recent news stories. Psychologists behind cia enhanced interrogation program. The ethics of interrogation georgetown university press. Juan rivera and the dangers of coercive interrogation. Psychologists behind cia enhanced interrogation program settle detainees lawsuit.
The interrogation techniques used by military standards. Topics discussed include explanation of the psychologically coercive nature of the police interrogation, determining the rate of false confessions and use of the reid technique to. Posner adrian vermeule coercive interrogation is now a live subject, thanks to 911. List of books and articles about police interrogation. Doctrine of coercive interrogation critical human rights book online at best prices in india on. The 542page report was commissioned by the psychological associations board of directors last year based on an investigation led by david h. False confessions and coercive interrogation tactics youtube. Evaluating coercion in suspect interviews and interrogations.
Cia personnel involved in the interrogations also experienced psychological distress. In the aftermath of th can harsh interrogation techniques and torture ever be morally justified for a nation at war or under the threat of imminent attack. The twoway psychologists bruce jessen and james mitchell devised a list of brutal methods, including. They claim that breaking someone will make it far more likely that he will divulge secrets that will save lives.
The 911 attacks revived those fantasies and summoned research psychologists for another round of participation in coercive interrogation work. His many books include policing americas empire and a question of torture. This is a video used as part of my dissertation research surveying law students on their attitudes on the psychology behind false confessions and interrogation tactics. And efforts are now being made to integrate this science and practice into international law and global policing initiatives. False confessions and coercive interrogation illinois state bar.
In the context of my previous posting, here is an article that provides a brief historical summary of the research into forms of coercive persuasion, primarily sensory deprivation, conducted 35 to 50 years ago, in which psychologists, psychoanalysts, and psychiatrists worked for the cia and the pentagon to understand these techniques. Effective interrogation and therefore the prosecution and possible conviction of guilty persons is of obvious and high relevance to this encyclopedia, as is the successful interviewing of those suspects who are, in fact, innocent. This book covers the history or police interrogation, from the early uses of physical force to psychological tactics now used to day, and how the interrogation process is adversarial, manipulative, and what tools law enforcement use to get false confessions from innocent suspects. Psychologists can, and must, continue to play an important and ethical role in guiding. Mitchell was involved in the development of the cias enhanced interrogation program and served as one of their interrogators from its inception until it was shut. Use of force and coercive interrogations tentative title. Its no secret that criminal suspects in illinois and elsewhere confess to crimes they didnt commit, often after aggressive police interrogation. Reisner has based his candidacy on a principled stance against our nations policy of using psychologists to oversee abusive and coercive interrogations at guantanamo and the secret prisons. Miller, department of religious studies and director, poynter center for the study of ethics and american institutions, indiana university. Daniel lassiter identifies the exposure of psychological coercion as an. The interrogation of those suspected of wrongdoing, although of great importance to society, has not been researched extensively compared with other crucial topics in psychology and law. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
This evolution has made necessary, and been facilitated by, increasingly sophisticated evaluations of police interviews and interrogations. Human rights and coercive interrogation techniques human rights is a term that refers to the universally accepted rights that all persons are equally entitled to for the simple fact of being human beings. In 2004, the american psychological and psychiatric associations began to explore the ethical aspects of psychologist and psychiatrist involvement in military interrogations. After the 911 terrorist attacks, the cia revived these harsh methods, while u. In the united states, physical force has been disallowed from police interrogations for more than seventy years. These guidelines aim to reduce the welldocumented risk of mistreatment and coercion that persons face during questioning by law enforcement, and during the. Coercive interrogation techniques 662 words 3 pages.
Contributors present cuttingedge research on non coercive interrogation techniques and show. This is familiar ground for mccoys readers, but torture and impunity adds significantly to our understanding. One of the most prominent methods used by police and other law enforcement agencies for interrogating suspects is the reid technique, a very aggressive interrogation method linked to the production of false confessions. The influence of the psychology behind interrogations on the outcome. Can harsh interrogation techniques and torture ever be morally justified for a nation at war or under the threat of imminent attack. Interrogation of suspects forensic psychology iresearchnet. This is usually a crucial step in most coerced false confessions. Although it is important to acknowledge that differences exist between interrogations conducted as part of a criminal investigation and those in support of intelligence gathering, such differences arguably have only a modest. The war in the mind the boston globe this story has been formatted for easy printing the war in the mind psychology and psychiatry have long had an uneasy relationship with the dark art of interrogation. In 1993, juan rivera, a resident of waukegan, illinois, was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder, a year earlier, of an elevenyearold girl named holly staker. The two psychologists who designed the us enhanced interrogation programme that included waterboarding and other forms of torture are due to give evidence in open court for the first time. Defenders of waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques deny that these practices constitute torture. Douglas starr is codirector of the graduate program in science journalism at boston university. Comparing and contrasting the american psychological, american medical and american psychiatric association positions.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Many americans have condemned the enhanced interrogation techniques. Read the fulltext online edition of is there a right to remain silent. The path from guild ethics to torture and our continuing choices.
Coercive interrogation is an interrogation which uses enhanced interrogation techniques and is so harsh that it amounts to torture role of psychologists edit the role of psychologists in coersive interrogations has been controversial for some time. Dershowitz has weighed in on the subject of coercive interrogation before. Interrogation drew on psychology to induce helplessness. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a dozen categories. Psychologists and torture more than a question of interrogation mark burton and carolyn kagan on how organised psychology should respond. The twoway psychologists bruce jessen and james mitchell devised a.
The threat to inflict pain may trigger fears more damaging than the immediate sensation of pain. The listing below has not been updated for many, many years. Developing international guidelines on investigative. Police interrogation is the process of questioning with the key objective of obtaining particular information during an investigation. The interrogation of prisoners is not wrong and is a necessary part of our continued fight against terrorism. Introduction with the recent media coverage of the central park jogger. Coercive interrogation and the fifth amendment after 911 2008.
Juan rivera and the dangers of coercive interrogation the new. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. The ethics of interrogation and the american psychological. Interrogation has evolved over more than a century of policing into a discipline drawing on principles of law and psychology. In the aftermath of 911, he wrote a provocative oped article. Forms of coercion explained in the interrogation manual include. Doctrine of coercive interrogation as want to read. Interrogations, confessions, and entrapment perspectives. The psychology behind interrogations and confessions. The article examines importance of expert testimony in juvenile and adult alleged false confession cases in the u. Some psychologists were ready to answer the call, and it appears, at least for now, that they will escape judgment from. Why ethical psychologists play an important role in. The ethics of interrogation is a brilliant model of interdisciplinary moral and political analysis.
Police, military and intelligence agencies are the most common interrogators. However,a recent article addressing this topic which includes citations of other works in this area is available on this site. Reisner has based his candidacy on a principled stance against our nations policy of using psychologists to oversee abusive and coercive interrogations at. Enhanced interrogation techniques psychology today. Psychology and coercive interrogations in historical. The other psychological theme used in interrogations by law enforcement officers is the attack of the confidence of the suspect in his memory. Emerging scientific research reveals non coercive methods to be the most effective interrogation techniques. How can organised psychology best promote and protect human rights in relation to military occupation and the detention of terrorist suspects or insurgents. Psychology and coercive interrogation, the history punya. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. At the core of the debate about whether psychologists should be involved with national securityrelated interrogations was a disagreement about whether the expertise gained through the study of human psychology could be used to design and implement coercive interrogations in the service of safeguarding the common good.
Now in softcover, interrogations, confessions, and entrapment remains one of the. In fact, most people underestimate their capacity to withstand pain. A settlement in a lawsuit against two psychologists who were paid tens of millions of dollars to design torture techniques used by the cia in black. Studies of sensory deprivation and sleep deprivation induced a psychosis, in. But what, if anything, can psychologists and psychiatrists tell us about the effectiveness, and the effects, of coercive. Coercive interrogation, or torture, seeks to destroy or overcome the suspects will through various physical or psychological measures. The psychological ethics and national security pens task force was assembled by the american psychological association apa to guide policy on the role of psychologists in interrogations at foreign detention centers for the purpose of u. On one model, interrogatory torture may be applied to create an incentive for the suspect to cooperate that is so urgent as to overwhelm his desire to keep his secrets.
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