FACT SHEET: the Reid Technique

Apr 02, 2026

John E Reid and Associates is the leading authority for training programs on conducting proper interviews and interrogations.

CORE PRINCIPLES: We teach that all investigators should adhere to the following Core...

False Confession Expert Richard Leo Uses John E. Reid and Associates as the Benchmark for Proper Interrogation Procedures**

Mar 26, 2026

False Confession Expert Richard Leo Uses John E. Reid as the Benchmark for Proper Interrogation Procedures.

There certainly is a paradox involved in the testimony of false confession expert Richard Leo...

The Issue of Misclassification

Feb 23, 2026

The Issue of Misclassification

Critics of the Reid Technique suggest that investigators who utilize the Reid interview process, the Behavior Analysis Interview (BAI), oftentimes interrogate innocent subjects because they erroneously evaluate the...

A Catalog of Criticisms of the Reid Technique and Our Responses

Nov 02, 2025

Over the years we have published numerous Investigator Tips and What's New entries on our website detailing the various criticisms of the Reid Technique and our responses. In this Investigator Tip we...

The Fallacy of Defense Attorney Claims That The Reid Technique Causes False Confessions

Oct 24, 2025

The Fallacy of Defense Attorney Claims that the Reid Technique Causes False Confessions

In confession cases, the defense attorney and their false confession “expert” will oftentimes claim that the Reid Technique causes...

The Investigator's Workbook: Principles of Practice - How to Conduct Proper Interviews and Interrogations

Oct 13, 2025

Principles of Practice: How to Conduct Proper Investigative Interviews and Interrogations*

Since 1947, John E. Reid and Associates has been conducting investigative interviews and, when appropriate, interrogations.

Since the mid-1970s, we have...

The Investigator's Notebook

Aug 31, 2025

The Investigator’s Notebook consists of over 190 Investigator Tips organized in a sequence that reflects the various stages of an investigation. Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues.

Preparing to Testify in a Confession Case II

Aug 19, 2025

Preparing to Testify in a Confession Case

In almost every confession case, the defense will challenge the admissibility of their client’s confession, oftentimes suggesting that it was the result of some inappropriate...

Why do the courts reject the premise from false confession experts that lying to a suspect about evidence causes false confessions?

May 29, 2025

Social Psychologists, Defense Attorneys, Academicians, and Law Enforcement interrogation critics claim that

Misrepresenting evidence to a subject during an interrogation will cause innocent people to confess

Social psychologists often claim that police...

Correcting Misinformation About the Reid Technique

May 06, 2025

Critics of the Reid Technique make several false and erroneous statements (in italics below) when describing the Reid process. In the following pages, we will list their criticisms and our responses.

Investigator Tips About the Reid Technique and False Confession Experts Sorted by Topics

Jan 18, 2025

Over the years we have posted numerous Investigator Tips that discuss the essential elements of the Reid Technique and the claims made by false confession "experts" about the Reid process. In this...

Richard Leo's Boilerplate Statement Regarding Police Interrogation Practices

Jun 26, 2024

The following is the "boilerplate" position taken from various statements, publications and testimony of Richard Leo regarding police interrogation practices.

The Social Psychology of Police Interrogation

Police interrogation is a...

Is offering a suspect a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime the same as offering them a promise of leniency if they confess?

Jun 03, 2024

Social psychologists and other law enforcement critics suggest that during interrogation if the investigator offers the subject a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime, it is tantamount to making a...

Responding to a False Confession Expert in Your Case

Apr 09, 2024

Oftentimes the defense will present a "false confession expert” to testify that the investigator obtained a coerced and/or false confession. We have published a number of articles describing the type of statements...

What Do False Confession Experts Say in Their Reports?

Nov 28, 2023

The following represents the type of observations, assessments and opinions Dr. Richard Leo (and other social psychologists) offer/include in their reports and testimony when they are acting on behalf of the defendant...

How do you respond to the false confession experts presented by the defense? (updated Nov '23)

Oct 20, 2023

Over the years we have received a number of emails that have stated essentially the following:

I am an investigator with the (agency name). A few years ago a coworker and myself...

The Disingenuous Testimony from Social Psychologists About the Reid Technique

Jul 11, 2023

Richard Leo, and other false confession experts (oftentimes social psychologists), have testified that “there is a consensus in the scientific community that the techniques taught by the Reid method sometimes lead to...

A General Outline of Richard Leo’s Testimony/Followed by Reid Responses

Jul 05, 2023

A General Outline of Richard Leo’s Testimony/Followed by Reid Responses

The following are examples of the testimony Richard Leo has made in a number of cases and our responses to his statements.

What False Confession Experts Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses

Jun 16, 2023

The attached document, "What False Confession Experts, Defense Attorneys and Academicians Say About the Reid Technique and Our Responses," includes the following topics:

Clarifying Misrepresentations About Interrogation Techniques (updated May 2023)

May 19, 2023

Over the years social psychologists, defenses attorneys, and some academicians have
offered a number of criticisms of current law enforcement interrogation practices, and, in
particular, the Reid Technique. Some of...