TY - JOUR
T1 - A Snitching Enterprise
T2 - the Role of Evidence and Incentives on Providing False Secondary Confessions
AU - Jenkins, Baylee D.
AU - Le Grand, Alexis M.
AU - Wetmore, Stacy A.
AU - Neuschatz, Jeffrey S.
AU - Golding, Jonathan M.
AU - Lippert, Anne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, Society for Police and Criminal Psychology.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Jailhouse informants are thought to be one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. The current studies examined community members’ (E1: N = 99; E2: N = 289) willingness to provide false testimony as a jailhouse informant. In E1, participants were all presented a first offer (1-year sentence reduction) to testify as a jailhouse informant. Those who declined were presented up to three additional offers (four total): a complete reduction in fines, total immunity, and financial support in exchange for testimony. In E2, participants were presented with one of two offers (levels 1 or 4). Notably, 27% (E1) and 17% (E2) of participants were willing to falsely testify against another inmate. Willing participants rated themselves as overall less credible and more interested in serving their own interests than unwilling participants. In addition, cognitive networks of participants’ decision-making revealed that participants were motivated primarily by self-interest. These findings provide novel insight into the decision-making of jailhouse informants and are discussed in terms of legal implications.
AB - Jailhouse informants are thought to be one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. The current studies examined community members’ (E1: N = 99; E2: N = 289) willingness to provide false testimony as a jailhouse informant. In E1, participants were all presented a first offer (1-year sentence reduction) to testify as a jailhouse informant. Those who declined were presented up to three additional offers (four total): a complete reduction in fines, total immunity, and financial support in exchange for testimony. In E2, participants were presented with one of two offers (levels 1 or 4). Notably, 27% (E1) and 17% (E2) of participants were willing to falsely testify against another inmate. Willing participants rated themselves as overall less credible and more interested in serving their own interests than unwilling participants. In addition, cognitive networks of participants’ decision-making revealed that participants were motivated primarily by self-interest. These findings provide novel insight into the decision-making of jailhouse informants and are discussed in terms of legal implications.
KW - Behavior
KW - Criminal justice system
KW - Decision-making
KW - Jail
KW - Perceptions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124552957&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85124552957&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11896-022-09502-0
DO - 10.1007/s11896-022-09502-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124552957
SN - 0882-0783
VL - 38
SP - 141
EP - 152
JO - Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
JF - Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
IS - 1
ER -