LAW 830 - Interrogations & Confessions

Unit(s): 3

This is an interdisciplinary course on the study of police interrogation practices and confessions from criminal suspects. We will examine these topics from the perspectives of law, social psychology, criminology, sociology, history, ethics and public policy. The goal of this course is to acquire an in-depth understanding of the social psychology of police interrogation in America, the evolution of American interrogation practices from the nineteenth century to the present, the impact of law on police behavior and ideology, the causes and consequences of police-induce confession, and the possibilities for reform. While the particular focus of this course is on interrogation and confession, ultimately this course is about (1) the social psychology of influence, persuasion and coercion; (2) the proper and improper administration of criminal procedure and criminal justice in America; (3) the shifting social and legal norms that surround the state’s use of force, manipulation and deception; and, ultimately, (4) the kind and quality of criminal justice system we wish to have in the United States.

School of Law