Understanding the mechanism and the various phenomena underlying wrongful convictions is one of the most challenging tasks that the field of criminal justice is facing today. One of the largest contributions to tackling the issue was made with the introduction of the DNA testing in the late 1980s. The new method of inquiry gave rise to the innocence movement that fought for the rights of those who had been falsely convicted. Since then, science has made even more progress, finessing testing in criminal justice. Yet, modern scholars argue that purely scientific approach to resolving the issue of wrongful convictions is barely enough. It should make part of a diverse methodology that would draw on the evidence obtained from many fields – classic criminal justice, law research, social sciences, and psychology. This presentation discusses the ideas put forward by Norris and Bonventre (2015) and gives reasons for the interdisciplinary approach toward justice execution.
Norris and Bonventre (2015) state that in the absence of a strong theoretical framework, legal causes of wrongful convictions are often confused with root causes. The researchers explain that the field does not expand its scope of inquiry beyond legal circumstances and toward more complex social phenomena. So far, false accusations have been associated with — eyewitness misidentifications, misleading confessions, and snitching. Yet, there is more to the issue — for instance, racial, ethnic, and social factors that increase the likelihood of being wrongfully convicted. As Gross, Possley, and Stephens (2017) show in their study, African Americans constitute only 13% of the US populations. Yet, this demographic cohort accounts for almost half (47%) of exonerations. A merge of criminal justice and social sciences would probably explain why certain social groups end up being more vulnerable to being wrongfully convicted.
The article for analysis also provides a few insights into the link between psychology and criminal justice. Norris and Bonventre (2015) argue that psychological pressure often takes place when it comes to acquiring false confessions. Moreover, those who belong to the so-called “police culture” often have a rigid set of beliefs and behaviors that they deem appropriate. That practically allows them to proceed with their methods, no matter how unethical, without questioning them. Webster and Miller (2014) add an extra dimension to the issue: according to them, women are more vulnerable to psychological pressure. They attribute this disparity to the rarity that is female crimes. Women might feel more stigmatized by society, and given that persecutors often appeal to their reputation as mothers, it can compel them to make a false confession.
Lastly, the need for interdisciplinary research is justified by a complex phenomenon that is investigator bias. Archibald (2016) goes into detail regardless so-called investigator triangulation: according to the researcher, evidence is often arbitrary evaluated. Different investigators can label the same pieces of evidence as incriminating or exonerating. This is especially true when it comes to analysing information obtained in the process of interrogation. While DNA tests and photos account for more objectivity, and investigators tend to have similar opinions, the human factor plays a significant role in personal interactions. In this case, based on arbitrary criteria, investigators can have certain bias toward a person and make their own conclusions. Overall, underwhelming professional ethics and social realities of race, ethnicity, and gender call for a merge of different disciplines for the sake of ensuring justice execution.
References
Archibald, M. M. (2016). Investigator triangulation: A collaborative strategy with potential for mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 10(3), 228-250.
Gross, S. R., Possley, M., & Stephens, K. (2017). Race and wrongful convictions in the United States. Web.
Lewis, A. L., & Sommervold, S. L. (2014). Death, but is it murder: The role of stereotypes and cultural perceptions in the wrongful convictions of women. Alberta Law Revue, 78, 1035.
Norris, R. J., & Bonventre, C. L. (2015). Advancing wrongful conviction scholarship: Toward new conceptual frameworks. Justice Quarterly, 32(6), 929-949.
Webster, E., & Miller, J. (2014). Gendering and racing wrongful conviction: Intersectionality, normal crimes, and women’s experiences of miscarriage of justice. Alberta Law Revue, 78, 973.