Confession Accountability (CAT)
The focus of the Confession Accountability team is to research the use of coercive interrogation techniques against minors in Rhode Island, trace their unequal impact and connection to wrongful convictions, and advocate against their use.
Overall Purpose
We know that wrongful convictions exist, and with false confessions accounting for a large share of these injustices, people under 18 are some of the most vulnerable. The aim of the Confession Accountability team is to advocate for legislation that would prohibit law enforcement officers from using threats, physical harm, deception, and/or psychological manipulation when interrogating minors. Similar laws have been enacted both domestically and abroad, and it is time Rhode Island follows suit to protect our students. In collaboration with the Providence Student Union and the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office, we aim to investigate the impact of these interrogation tactics and use our findings to enact change. With coercive interrogation tactics proving less effective overall, we seek to improve the reliability and integrity in our criminal legal system while starting to address some of the injustices and disparities it creates.
Short-Term Goals
The Confession Accountability team plans to (1) Work with the Providence Student Union and the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office; (2) Compile a research report into the state of coercive interrogation in Rhode Island; and (3) Draft a bill addressing key issues identified with coercive interrogation for sponsorship in the 2024 legislative session, which you can find here.