The Language of Confession, Interrogation, and Deception.

by Roger W. Shuy, published by SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, 1998.

A common denominator for all law enforcement officers remains the ability to communicate with people, whether on the street, during a protracted investigation, in front of a grand jury, or in the courtroom itself, as well as within their own organizations. Law enforcement officers need to understand and be understood through communication. This communication generally takes written form but also occurs in such media as audio or video. The written form - a report - is compiled with similar reports and used by prosecutors to assess the viability of formally charging a suspect. At some point, officers interview the suspect. The interview may turn into an interrogation and, if successful, will culminate in a confession.

In the first two chapters of the book, the author, a distinguished Research Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, focuses on the language law enforcement officers use when obtaining confessions and conducting interrogations. The author makes a distinction between the language actually used during these situations and the language intended. For example, some confessions contain language that mirrors the elements of a statute as opposed to the language actually used by the suspect during the confession, thereby raising the issue that the investigator modified the confession in some way to make it "fit" the elements contained in the statute.

The book branches out to a discussion of constitutional rights, truthfulness and deception, and written and unwritten confessions. In one chapter, the author uses case studies - court cases where he had direct or indirect involvement as a potential witness for the defense - to illustrate situations where the interrogator becomes, in essence, a therapist. Although most of these cases resulted in convictions for the prosecution, law enforcement readers should not be lulled into a false sense of security about the impact of the author's message. The author makes valid points that if law enforcement officers do not continue to analyze, review, and learn from their shortcomings, the credibility currently enjoyed in this profession may be in jeopardy. He makes these points, not from the perspective of a law enforcement officer, but from that of an academician, who has spent innumerable hours reviewing and analyzing, line by line and word by word, the language used by officers and subjects in investigations. In the case studies presented, confession - another area of law enforcement once thought to be untouchable - also receives scrutiny.

Although the research, references, and academic viewpoints presented early in the book may seem overwhelming, the foundation laid by the author is necessary to apply these concepts to real situations. By citing nearly all of the icons in the areas of interviewing and interrogation (i.e., Sapir, Rabon, Inbau, and Reid), the author comforts the reader with his knowledge of this field of study. He further supports his opinions with various case studies and draws constructive conclusions from his experiences.

Readers should not take offense at the apparent harshness of the author's comments directed at law enforcement but rather should view the author's suggestions to audio- and videotape interviews, interrogations, and confessions as opportunities to expand their horizons into the inevitable future of the profession. Indeed, The Language of Confession, Interrogation, and Deception can help novice and experienced law enforcement investigators alike enhance their success in the interrogation room.

Reviewed by Special Agent Craig Meyer Law Enforcement Communication Unit FBI Academy Quantico, Virginia