Saul Kassin

So sometimes it's a sort of a rational reason like that. And sometimes it's a reason that reeks of pathology and somebody needing to gain attention. The motives may vary, but it is my sense that voluntary false confessions don't present much of a problem for the criminal justice system.

Yeah, the Salem Witch Trials are a great example. Compliant false confessions, these are cases where somebody is under great amounts of stress. They are motivated to put an end to that stress. They want out of that bad situation. They're not even thinking about long-term consequences. They may have come to believe it's in their better interest to confess than to deny involvement.

Yeah, the Salem Witch Trials are a great example. Compliant false confessions, these are cases where somebody is under great amounts of stress. They are motivated to put an end to that stress. They want out of that bad situation. They're not even thinking about long-term consequences. They may have come to believe it's in their better interest to confess than to deny involvement.

Yeah, the Salem Witch Trials are a great example. Compliant false confessions, these are cases where somebody is under great amounts of stress. They are motivated to put an end to that stress. They want out of that bad situation. They're not even thinking about long-term consequences. They may have come to believe it's in their better interest to confess than to deny involvement.

They know they're innocent. but they confess anyway as a way to get out of a bad situation. Those types of cases go back throughout history.

They know they're innocent. but they confess anyway as a way to get out of a bad situation. Those types of cases go back throughout history.

They know they're innocent. but they confess anyway as a way to get out of a bad situation. Those types of cases go back throughout history.

You know, I was teaching at Williams College. It's a liberal arts college in Massachusetts. It was 2002. And I was preparing for classes in the fall, and this producer called and said, I wonder if you can look at some confessions for us. I said, OK, what's the case? And she said, will you promise not to mention this to anyone? I said, sure, it's confidential.

You know, I was teaching at Williams College. It's a liberal arts college in Massachusetts. It was 2002. And I was preparing for classes in the fall, and this producer called and said, I wonder if you can look at some confessions for us. I said, OK, what's the case? And she said, will you promise not to mention this to anyone? I said, sure, it's confidential.

You know, I was teaching at Williams College. It's a liberal arts college in Massachusetts. It was 2002. And I was preparing for classes in the fall, and this producer called and said, I wonder if you can look at some confessions for us. I said, OK, what's the case? And she said, will you promise not to mention this to anyone? I said, sure, it's confidential.

And she said, it's the Central Park jogger. And I went silent.

And she said, it's the Central Park jogger. And I went silent.

And she said, it's the Central Park jogger. And I went silent.

For a city that was already on edge, this was the breaking point. The papers were just filled with headlines that, you know, we've got to solve this. I understand fully that when this happened and when it was reported and the heinousness of the crime, the city was in a state of outrage. and demanding that we find who did this. Within 72 hours, NYPD solved the case.

For a city that was already on edge, this was the breaking point. The papers were just filled with headlines that, you know, we've got to solve this. I understand fully that when this happened and when it was reported and the heinousness of the crime, the city was in a state of outrage. and demanding that we find who did this. Within 72 hours, NYPD solved the case.

For a city that was already on edge, this was the breaking point. The papers were just filled with headlines that, you know, we've got to solve this. I understand fully that when this happened and when it was reported and the heinousness of the crime, the city was in a state of outrage. and demanding that we find who did this. Within 72 hours, NYPD solved the case.

There were a number of kids running through the park that night, wreaking havoc on some bystanders, and police immediately started rounding people up, going into their neighborhoods, bringing others in. They interrogated all sorts of kids and ultimately found five kids who confessed, 14, 15, 16 years old.

There were a number of kids running through the park that night, wreaking havoc on some bystanders, and police immediately started rounding people up, going into their neighborhoods, bringing others in. They interrogated all sorts of kids and ultimately found five kids who confessed, 14, 15, 16 years old.

There were a number of kids running through the park that night, wreaking havoc on some bystanders, and police immediately started rounding people up, going into their neighborhoods, bringing others in. They interrogated all sorts of kids and ultimately found five kids who confessed, 14, 15, 16 years old.

The way New York City worked their confessions in those days, starting in the 1970s, 1980s, was the detectives interrogated off-camera. They brought their suspect to a point where they were ready to confess, and then they delivered them to an assistant district attorney who stepped in with a camera on and took the confession.