Are Interrogations a Necessary Evil?
Interrogations are supposed to enable detectives to establish the truth of events. It is impossible to conduct investigations and establish the truth without interrogating suspects if the interrogators were not at the scene of a crime or event. It is necessary to explain that most people expect investigators from miles away to unravel the mysteries behind criminal activities (Lassiter 2010). However, they forget that they are the best people to help investigators to get to the bottom of various issues and build strong cases that will prove whether suspects are innocent or guilty. Therefore, interrogations are not necessary evils.
In addition, some events are usually complicated and there is the need to understand the cultural issues of a community before establishing the truth or paths to be followed to identify the causes of suspects of criminal activities (The Central Intelligence Agency 2012). It is necessary to explain that for a person to understand the importance of interrogation, he must know what it involves. This will enable him to make proper judgment and understand the need to cooperate with investigators in examining the cause of different situations (Lassiter 2010). On the other hand, some interrogators use force and other manipulative approaches to get information from people; therefore, they compromise the credibility of the evidence and the cooperation of the victim. In addition, some people are experts in lying for fame, money, or to settle their political or economic differences; therefore, they provide false information that complicates the path to justice.
Joseph Margulies Perception Regarding Torture
He believed that the most important aspect of a criminal’s life is not the luxuries he is given when serving a sentence, but the hope of going back to his people. This means that prisoners have the right to be tried in courts that do not violate their fundamental rights (Lassiter 2010). The case against the United States filed by suspects held in Guantanamo Bay revealed the injustice that prisoners experienced. He claims that there is no need for prisoners from other countries to be tried in American courts yet it (America) does not allow its citizens to be subjected to similar treatment. It is necessary to explain that most of Margulies arguments revolve around the issues of justice for prisoners. Therefore, he criticized the use of force by American interrogators in extracting information from suspects (The Central Intelligence Agency 2012). The Guantanamo Bay prison was established to ensure suspects are separated from their families and exposed to harsh conditions that will force them to say what interrogators what to hear and not necessarily what they know about issues of terrorism and human rights abuse.
Does the End of Interrogations Justify the Means?
The end of interrogations justifies the means if suspects offer accurate information that will be useful in managing various situations (The Central Intelligence Agency 2012). However, most interrogations that use forceful and inhumane means like torture and sleep deprivation rarely achieve their objectives because suspects are forced to say what the interrogators want to believe. Therefore, the means of interrogations do not necessarily justify the end and vice versa. It is necessary to explain that critics believe that Guantanamo Bay is a hostile place that distinguishes the hope of suspects reuniting with their families (Lassiter 2010). Therefore, the use of forceful interrogation approaches violates the rights of suspects and makes the process lack the moral objectivity it was founded on.
References
Lassiter, G.D. (2010). Police Interrogations and False Confessions: Current Research, Practice and Policy Recommendations (Decade of Behavior). Washington: American Psychological Association.
The Central Intelligence Agency. (2012). The CIA Document of Human Manipulation: Kubark Counterintelligence Interrogation Manual. New York: BN Press.