(Dr. Miko M. Wilford wrote a column entitled, "What You Should Know if You Are Interrogated" in Psychology Today, in which she made several erroneous statements about the Reid Technique. Here is the letter that we wrote to Psychology Today.)

Dr. Wilford is clearly misinformed as to what the Reid Technique is. She states in her article, What You Should Know if You Are Interrogated, that the Reid Technique is a nine step (guilt presumptive) process. She fails to clarify for the reader that in the Reid Technique the initial contact with the subject is always a non-accusatory, non-confrontational interview, in which the investigator is a neutral objective fact finder. The interview is designed to develop investigative information – the subject’s activities during the time period in question, their relationship with the victim, the who, what, when, where, why and how of the issue that is under investigation.

Interrogation is only appropriate when the facts, evidence and information developed during the investigation indicate the subject’s probable involvement in the issue under investigation.

Dr. Wilford goes on to suggest that the Reid Technique employs the minimization/maximization paradigm often referenced by social psychologists, in which the investigator offers the suspect leniency if he/she confesses, but a more severe penalty if they do not. Dr. Wilford conveniently fails to advise the reader of the Core Principles of the Reid Technique which reject such coercive behaviors:

• Always treat the subject with dignity and respect
• Always conduct interviews and interrogations in accordance with the guidelines established by the courts
• Do not make any promises of leniency or threats of harm or inevitable consequences
• Do not conduct interrogations for an excessively lengthy period of time
• Do not deny the subject any of their rights
• Do not deny the subject the opportunity to satisfy their physical needs
• Exercise special cautions when questioning juveniles or individuals with mental or psychological impairments

The goal of an interrogation is to learn the truth, not to secure a confession. For example, there are occasions when the subject being interrogated did not commit the crime but has been concealing the fact that he knows who did.

We never teach to maximize the subject’s punishment if he does not confess – “If you don’t tell me that you did this you will never see your family again.”

We also never teach to minimize the subject’s punishment if he does confess – “Look, if you tell me that you did this so you can go home…you’ll never spend a day in jail.”

On our YouTube channel, The Reid Technique Tips, we have dozens of video presentations that address such issues as:

False Confessions - The Issues to be Considered Part One

False Confessions - The Issues to be Considered Part Two

What Questions Should be Asked to Determine the Voluntariness and Validity of a Subject’s Confession?

The Value of Recording Interrogations

Questioning Juvenile Offenders

The Core Principles of The Reid Technique

Best Practices

Description of The Reid Technique

Joseph P. Buckley
President John E. Reid and Associates