Critics Corner

Over the years social psychologists, defense attorneys and some academicians have offered a number of criticisms of interrogation techniques in general, and in particular,The Reid Technique. We have prepared a document that addresses these criticisms, entitled, Clarifying Misrepresentations About Law Enforcement Interrogation Techniques.

The Core Values of the Reid Technique – The core values of the Reid Technique include the following:

  • Always treat the subject with dignity and respect
  • Always conduct interviews and interrogations in accordance with the guidelines established by the courts
  • Do not make any promises of leniency or threats of harm or inevitable consequences
  • Do not conduct interrogations for an excessively lengthy period of time
  • Do not deny the subject any of their rights
  • Do not deny the subject the opportunity to satisfy their physical needs
  • Exercise special cautions when questioning juveniles or individuals with mental or psychological impairments

We posted an Investigator Tip on June 16, 2023 entitled, "What False Confession Experts Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses" - click here to access that entry.

Here are a number of helpful documents:

The Disingenuous Testimony from Social Psychologists About the Reid Technique

A General Outline of Richard Leo's Testimony on False Confession Issues and Reid Responses

What False Confession Experts Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses

What Do False Confession Experts Say in Their Reports?

Clarifying Misrepresentations About Interrogation Techniques (updated May 2023)

False Confessions - The Issues to be Considered

What Questions Should be Asked to Determine the Voluntariness and Validity of a Subject’s Confession?

The Truth About the Research Social Psychologists Use as the Basis for Testimony regarding False and/or Coerced Confessions

Be Suspicious When You Only Get Part of the Story

Interrogation and Confession Judicial Decisions Organized by Subject Matter (includes Court decisions regarding the testimony of false confession experts)

Principles of Practice: How to Conduct Proper Investigative Interviews and Interrogations

“False confession experts” oftentimes misrepresent the elements of the Reid Technique - here are two articles that detail the Reid Technique interview and interrogation process.

Visit our YouTube channel - The Reid Technique Tips- where we have posted a number of short video presentations which address such topics as:

  • Description of the Reid Technique
  • The Core Principles of the Reid Technique
  • Best Practices
  • How the Courts View the Reid Technique
  • What is the Non-Confrontational Approach?
  • There is no behavior unique to lying
  • Questioning Juvenile Offenders
  • Projection and Rationalization
  • Guilt presumptive Approach, Privacy and the Purpose of an Interrogation
  • Minimization and Contamination
  • Is it permissible to lie to a suspect about evidence?
  • What Questions should be asked to determine the Voluntariness and Validity of a Subject’s Confession
  • Research Confirming the Reid Technique Process
  • Reid is the Benchmark for Proper Procedure
  • Investigator Tips
  • Cognitive Interviewing
  • The Reid P.E.A.C.E. Method of Investigative Interviews
  • And others.

Oftentimes the defense will present a "false confession expert” to testify that the investigator obtained a coerced and/or false confession. We have published a number of articles describing the type of statements that the “experts” make; the various factors that they consider in their assessment; and the type of reports that they issue.
Here are several links to those articles - please share them with your colleagues and prosecutors.

and finally, since these “false confession experts” oftentimes misrepresent the elements of the Reid Technique here are two articles that detail the Reid Technique interview and interrogation process.