Juveniles possess less maturity, intelligence, and
competence than adults, heightening their vulnerability in the justice system.
For this reason, states try juveniles in separate courts and use different
sentencing standards than for adults. Yet, when police bring kids in for
questioning, they use the same interrogation tactics they use for adults,
including trickery, deception, and lying to elicit confessions or to produce
incriminating evidence against the defendants.




In Kids, Cops, and Confessions, Barry Feld offers the
first report of what actually happens when police question juveniles. Drawing
on remarkable data, Feld analyzes interrogation tapes and transcripts, police
reports, juvenile court filings and sentences, and probation and sentencing
reports, describing in rich detail what actually happens in the interrogation
room. Contrasting routine interrogation and false confessions enables police,
lawyers, and judges to identify interrogations that require enhanced scrutiny,
to adopt policies to protect citizens, and to assure reliability and integrity
of the justice system. Feld has produced an invaluable look at how the justice
system really works.

"A rich blend of top-notch empirical scholarship and doctrinal analysis, Feld's book is a significant contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of police interrogationsand a major step forward in achieving justice for juveniles . . . an empirical tour de force." - Criminal Law and Social Change

"A well written and concise account that contributes constitutional measures afforded to youth." - International Criminal Justice Review

"Feld has done a masterful job of presenting the realities of the interrogation room to the reader. This work is important to scholars of all persuasions who seek to better understand the unique plight of juveniles faced with the inherently coercive circumstances involved in police questioning. The book is well-written and capably blends research-based observations with the perceptions of police and other legal actors. This combined perspective provides the reader with a unique appreciation of a system which often functions far from public view." - CLCJ Books

"Investigatory questioning by law enforcement is understood to involve an unequal balance of power with an intrinsic opportunity for abuse. For this reason, Miranda warning rights and other constitutional protections exist in the United States. Nevertheless, Feld (law, Univ. of Minnesota; Juvenile Justice Administration in a Nutshell) warns in his latest book that these legal protections have failed miserably, particularly when juveniles are involved. Feld cautions that juvenile interrogations are ripe for inquisitorial abuse owing, first, to juveniles' incompetence to exercise their Miranda rights effectively; second, to police officers' skill in using psychological tools to gain a waiver; and third, to judicial inability to supervise interrogations as they happen. His research reveals that juvenile interrogation tactics and procedures have resulted in various injustices including the proliferation of false confessions. Feld also offers solutions, including the simple one of recording all custodial interrogations for possible review. Verdict: Recommended. Judges and attorneys as well as law enforcement agencies and juvenile advocates will find this book useful as they work toward the goal of fair treatment and justice for juveniles, both guilty and innocent." - Library Journal

"Feld has produced an invaluable exploration into how the criminal justice system really works. . . . A resource for researchers and professionals that want an insider perspective or conduct additional research studies on the interrogation of juveniles." - Journal of Youth and Adolescence

"The author's detailed, rare and invaluable look inside the concealed confines of the interrogation room provides a compelling impetus for change." - LA Daily Journal

"University of Minnesota Law School Professor Barry Feld's book Kids, Cops, and Confessions: Inside the Interrogation Room was highlighted in research sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The NSF stated, 'The findings, published in 'Kids, Cops, and Confessions: Inside the Interrogation Room,' will aid police departments, juvenile and criminal defense attorneys, state legislatures and judicial law-reform commissions in developing better policies to regulate interrogation practices and provide social scientists with a template to repeat the study in other jurisdictions.'" - Minnesota Lawyer