Yes, innocent people confess to crimes they didn’t commit.

Nothing is solved when this happens. The guilty are not punished, and the innocent suffer for the sins of another. At first glance, it may seem incomprehensible, but false confessions occur frequently in the American criminal justice system. According to the Innocence Project, 25% of wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence resulted from false confessions.

False confessions are primarily caused by psychological pressure, misinformation, and intellectual or emotional impairments. Psychological pressure can include long interrogations under stressful conditions. Although physical coercion is illegal in the United States, the mental toll on some suspects can cause them to question their own perceptions or memories. Exhaustion from lack of sleep or mental fatigue can further increase susceptibility. In these stressful situations, suspects may misremember events or falsely confess out of confusion or a breakdown of their mental faculties.

In the United States, investigators are allowed to lie and mislead suspects about the evidence they have and the strength of their case. In some instances, law enforcement has doctored photos, misrepresented DNA results, or falsely claimed that witnesses saw the suspect at the crime scene. Even the most sophisticated individuals can be duped into agreeing with these false conclusions.

Minors and people with mental disabilities are particularly vulnerable to suggestive interrogation practices. They may “go along” with officers or falsely confess simply to end the questioning, unaware of the long-term consequences. In some cases, parents of child suspects have been co-opted—despite good intentions—by law enforcement to pressure their children into making false confessions.

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Written by:

Laurence Colletti