High-risk interrogation: using the "Mr. Big Technique" to elicit confessions

Law Hum Behav. 2010 Feb;34(1):39-40. doi: 10.1007/s10979-009-9203-y.

Abstract

Kassin et al. (Police-Induced Confessions: Risk Factors and Recommendation, 2009) provide a detailed and thoughtful analysis of how police interrogation practices might elicit false confessions from innocent suspects. The purpose of this commentary is to provide a brief review of a relatively recent development in Canadian police investigation practice and discuss how this procedure may increase the likelihood of police-induced false confessions. The so-called "Mr. Big Technique" is a non-custodial interrogation tactic wherein suspects are drawn into a supposed criminal organization (actually an elaborate police sting) and subsequently told that to move up in the organization, they must confess to a crime. In this article, we describe this remarkable interrogation technique and discuss issues relevant to the potential induction of false confessions.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Canada
  • Coercion*
  • Crime / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic / methods*
  • Truth Disclosure*