Interrogations

This passage describes the process of a police interrogation.

Lexile Level: 1140L

Categories: People & Places

Trained police interrogators are very skilled at getting guilty criminals to confess. Most interrogations take place in small rooms designed to make suspects feel uncomfortable. The walls are usually bare and the furniture sparse, with only a desk, a small chair for the suspect, and two other chairs for the investigators. Police interrogations typically follow a pattern first developed by a criminal scientist named John Reid. Investigators begin by presenting suspects with the evidence against them. In the second stage of the Reid system, officers present theories as to why the suspects committed the crimes. If the suspects try to offer denials at this point, the investigators interrupt the denials. Eventually, suspects will get frustrated, and the desire to escape the situation will grow. At this point, interrogators may move closer to increase the discomfort, while at the same time making comforting gestures such as a hand on the shoulder. By this point, many guilty suspects will begin to lose their resolve and show signs of caving in, such as slouched shoulders or a bowed head. Officers take these cues as a sign that it is time to close in for confessions.