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  • Essay / Psychology in the Justice System - 701

    This New York Times article highlights one of the most relevant and controversial topics in the field of psychology in the justice system: confessions, their relevance and impact in as an important element. (sometimes considered incontrovertible) evidence in a trial and the questionable reliability it has in certain circumstances. It shows how the suspect made a confession after 12 hours of interrogation, then partially recanted, alleging "so much pressure" experienced over such a long period of time. How a false confession could have been easily proven or not proven with a proper videotape of the entire interrogation and confession process, but how only the confession was recorded (which is standard practice in New York) . This fact gave and leaves room for doubts about police techniques and possible excessive pressure and coercion during the unreasonably long interview, and makes it difficult to demonstrate the veracity of the confessions or suspicions about irregular techniques. The article also comments on how the implementation of videotaping during interrogations is slow in many departments and how some detectives oppose this measure as expensive, impractical and risky (since it could be considered a tool for criminals). the purpose of an interrogation or arrest is to extract important information aimed at finding the culprit of the specific fault, and since it is an unnatural and non-evolutionary behavior of the human being to act against his own well-being and survival instinct, it would certainly be very difficult to obtain evidence without a certain degree of persuasion. It then becomes clear that no police interrogation is completely free of coercion...... middle of paper ......From my point of view, video recording of the interrogation and Confession is an essential and inevitable measure that should be mandatory and implemented globally in all justice systems. This should not be seen as a waste of money but as a reversal in the name of justice. In today's high-tech computerized world, we cannot allow a partially recorded interview that could be considered manipulated or biased. This measure can be useful either for the police to avoid false accusations of coercive and inhumanely inquisitorial techniques during interrogations and to avoid the invalidation of true confessions based on partial and biased recordings, or for innocent people to testify to the use abusive psychological practice. . So certainly something valuable on the path to truth and an important advance in psychology and justice..