I did my paper on eyewitness identifications. There is a lack of awareness regarding eyewitness identifications as being a science. Most wrongful convictions are the result of mis-identifications, due to various factors; such as, the fairness of the lineup, show up identifications, post-identification feedback and others. The simple truth of the matter is; if police organizations created a fair lineup and conducted the lineup with a double blind administration, it would virtually eliminate a lot of the problems associated with mis-identifications. However their is more favor towards increased choosing rates compared to protection of the individual and in essence society. Because, if a person is misidentified that means the real perpetrator is still out there.
I gained a lot of insight regarding eyewitness procedures and highly recommend the topic. A few prominent researchers in the field are Elizabeth Loftus and Brian Cutler. They are both amazing pioneers eyewitness testimonies. The book, Mistaken Identification The Eyewitness, Psychology, And The Law, by Cutler and Penrod, 1995. Some advise I would give would be to gather all your sources early and sift through them, annotating which quotes you plan on incorporating into your paper. Don't wait until the last minute, you know it sucks... ;)
Melissa Brown
No comments:
Post a Comment