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f * ABCNEWS.com : Why Woulggy Irnocent Mani Confess? @ Page 3 of 4 ee “Now the suspect is in a total state of despair," Kassin said. "Denial isn't getting [the suspect] out of [the interrogation]." Looking for a Way Out After hours of isolation, deprivation and accusations, exhausted suspects are often looking for a way out, Kassin said. Here is where police may step in and suggest that the suspect may not have intended to commit the crime, or hint that the consequences might not be harsh if the suspect confesses. Police may also mention, intentionally or by mistake, certain key details about the crime or crime scene that only the perpetrator could know, confusing the process further. In the Central Park Jogger case, for example, some of the teenaged suspects were shown crime scene photos before they confessed. Cy Suspects, even when innocent, often confess just to escape their interrogators, and can often weave a story together that shows even they believe in their own guilt. "What makes someone give a false confession is not that they need a Diet Coke or a Big Mac after however many hours, it's that they become convinced that the best thing to do at the moment is to confess," she said. "Like it or not, you're going to be arrested. Police have evidence they sincerely believe will convict you, and will go to the gas chamber and spend the rest of your life in jail.” For innocent people who confess, the interrogation room is a Twilight Zone experience. They walk in with a naive belief in their own innocence, and leave in handcuffs having confessed to a crime. Close to 80 percent of all suspects turn down their right to have a lawyer present during questioning, and innocent people are even more likely to waive their rights, Kassin said. Fixing the Old Methods A recent rash in false confession revelations has prompted talk of reform. Stan Walters, who trains police officers in interrogation techniques, says one way to prevent false confessions is to adequately teach interview strategies. As it is, too many police officers have faulty notions of spotting deception in a suspect, he said. Some departments rely on old myths, such as judging eye movement, to gauge whether a suspect is lying, Walters said. When the suspect's eyes move fo the right after the interrogator asks a question, the myth goes, the suspect has something to hide. Other behaviors, such as stammering or fidgeting, can be interpreted as signs of deception, ‘but really may be signs of stress, Walters said. "We're not preparing officers and investigators for the task of interviewing," Walters said. "They're learning through the job but not necessarily getting the right training." Critics say some overzealous police officers know exactly what they are doing when they frame innocent suspects — they just want the case closed. But police often have good reason to believe a suspect is guilty when they reach the interrogation room, even if evidence later clears them, others say. "Something tangible puts that person at the scene in some connection,” said Joseph Ryan, a 25-year veteran of the New York City Police Department who now teaches criminal justice at Pace University. Especially when a brutal crime has occurred, police face heavy pressure to get a confession, he said. "There is pressure on the police to make the community feel safe, that the individuals who did the crime are no longer on the street.” file://G:\falseconfessions020925 html 9/25/02