TIPSters interested in how eyewitness research has been received in public policy agencies might be interested in two Department of Justice publications:
Eyewitness Evidence: A guide for law enforcement (1999) This included guidelines for all contacts, from the first (answering a 9-1-1 call) through use of mug books, composite images, interviews (including information on the cognitive interview method), and lineup procedures. Convicted by juries, exonerated by science: Case studies in the use of DNA evidence to establish innocence after trial (1996) This is an early compilation of 28 life sentence and death row convictions that were overturned by DNA evidence. For each case, the report reviews the evidence used at trial to obtain the conviction. Frequently the conviction was based entirely on faulty eyewitness identification. In some cases the evidence included suggestive interview procedures. Given the early date of these materials, the current case studies for convictions overturned by DNA evidence should be much more extensive. Even this early picture based on 28 cases is compelling. I obtained these reports by requesting them from the DOJ through their web site. They might still be available there. Why DOJ police guidelines have still not trickled into local practices is an interesting questions. As they say, organizational change sometimes moves at glacial speed. Usually that charge is applied to academia, but we are not alone. Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D. Director Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Associate Professor School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences University of West Florida 11000 University Parkway Pensacola, FL 32514 – 5751 Phone: (850) 857-6355 or 473-7435 [email protected] CUTLA Web Site: http://uwf.edu/cutla/ Personal Web Pages: http://uwf.edu/cstanny/website/index.htm --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=12398 or send a blank email to leave-12398-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
