Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth

Lindsay C. Malloy, PhD, is a professor of forensic psychology and Research Excellence Chair at Ontario Tech University. Her research addresses questions concerning interrogations, confessions, and eyewitness testimony, especially among vulnerable people; investigative interviewing techniques; and the disclosure of negative or traumatic experiences. Dr. Malloy’s scholarship is widely cited in forensic and developmental research, and has appeared in amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. She been the recipient of multiple awards and her research has been funded by several agencies. Her TEDx talk, “Why Teens Confess to Crimes They Didn’t Commit,” (go.ted.com/lindsaymalloy) has been viewed over 1.5 million times.Rebecca K. Helm, PhD, is a professor of law and empirical legal studies, and is director of the Evidence Based Justice Lab at the University of Exeter. She is a qualified lawyer in England and Wales, and in New York. Dr. Helm serves as an academic cochair of the Plea Bargaining Institute and runs the United Kingdom Miscarriages of Justice Registry. She is currently a United Kingdom Research and Innovation Fellow; her work has been widely cited in academic research and in multiple court judgments. She was part of a team that was awarded the Economic and Social Research Council Prize for Societal Impact in 2024.Tina M. Zottoli, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology and director of the Legal Decision Making Lab at Montclair State University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and serves as cochair of a working group of the Plea Bargaining Institute. Dr. Zottoli’s scholarship focuses on decision making in legal contexts, with emphasis on the legal capacities of adolescent defendants and guilty plea decision making. Her work has garnered national attention and supported the passage of “second-look” legislation in several U.S. states. Her research has been cited in amicus briefs submitted to state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

• ContributorsSeries ForewordMonica K. MillerForewordMichael E. LambAcknowledgmentsUnderstanding Youth Confessions and Guilty Pleas: An IntroductionLindsay C. Malloy, Tina M. Zottoli, and Rebecca K. HelmPart I. Developmental and Legal FoundationsChapter 1. Legal Foundations for Understanding Confessions and Guilty Pleas of YouthChristopher M. King, Rachel Bomysoad, Sarah Hitchcock, Sana Vora, Chinwe Ossai, and Savannah CuellarChapter 2. Socioemotional Foundations for Understanding Confessions and Guilty Pleas of YouthCortney Simmons, Imani Randolph, Jung Min Lee, and Caitlin CavanaghChapter 3. Neurodevelopmental Foundations for Understanding Confessions and Guilty Pleas of YouthJillian Grose-FiferChapter 4. Memory Foundations for Understanding Confessions and Guilty Pleas of YouthKamala London and Hera YangPart II. Confessions Chapter 5. Revisiting Lee Arthur Hester: A Case Study in False ConfessionsSteven A. DrizinChapter 6. Confessions: History, Research, and Current DirectionsSaul M. KassinChapter 7. Youth Vulnerability During Police Questioning: False Confession and the Five-Level Process Model for Assessing RiskGisli H. GudjonssonChapter 8. Psycholegal Abilities of Youth and Waiver of Interrogation-Related RightsEmily Haney-Caron, Kaillee Philleo, and Sydney BakerChapter 9. Defining and Determining "Custody" Through a Developmental LensFabiana Alceste and Reece ButlerChapter 10. Trauma as a Risk Factor for Coerced and False Confessions Among YouthLucy Guarnera and Hayley M. D. ClearyChapter 11. System Disparities: Racial Criminalization and the Risk of Coerced and False Confessions in YouthCynthia J. NajdowskiChapter 12. (Mis)perceptions of Youth Confessors by Legal Decision-MakersMargaret C. Stevenson, Kelly C. Burke, and Gabriela S. RachmanPart III. Guilty Pleas Chapter 13. Joseph Buffey: A Case Study in False Guilty PleasVanessa Meterko and Jaime S. HendersonChapter 14. Guilty Pleas: History, Research, and Current DirectionsMiko M. Wilford and Annabelle FrazierChapter 15. Youth Vulnerability in the Guilty Plea Process: Cognitive Immaturity and Suboptimal DecisionsRebecca K. Helm and Valerie F. ReynaChapter 16. Guilty Pleas and the Psycholegal Abilities of YouthTina M. Zottoli, Tarika Daftary-Kapur, Kimberly Echevarria, and Aliya J. BirnbaumChapter 17. Legal Procedures: Protecting Youth Making Plea Decisions or Exacerbating Vulnerabilities?Talley Bettens, Allison D. Redlich, and Rebecca K. HelmChapter 18. System Disparities: Impact of Racial and Socioeconomic Inequalities on the Plea Process for YouthMartine Fredrickson and Vanessa A. EdkinsPart IV. Specific Actors and Other ContextsChapter 19. Evaluating Youth Who Confess or Plead Guilty: A Perspective From Clinical PsychologistsAntoinette Kavanaugh and Kathryn Rea SmithChapter 20. Practical Guidance for Effective Counseling, Investigation, and Criminal Representation of Youth Who Confess: A Perspective from Practicing LawyersMegan G. Crane and Maria HawiloChapter 21. Parents and Appropriate Adults in the Context of Confessions and Guilty PleasJennifer Woolard, Grace Hickman, and Erika FountainChapter 22. Expert Testimony in Cases of Disputed ConfessionsJeffrey Kaplan and Brian L. CutlerChapter 23. A "Child First" Approach to Police Interviews of Youth Suspects: Applying the PEACE ModelMartin Vaughan, Rebecca Milne, and Ray BullChapter 24. An International Perspective on Legal Advice for Youth in the Police Station: Strengthening Youth Participation in Criminal Proceedings and Diversion From CourtVicky Kemp and Cerys GibsonChapter 25. Interrogations and Confessions in School ContextsMark D. Snow and Lindsay C. MalloyChapter 26. Conclusions and Emerging IssuesLindsay C. Malloy, Rebecca K. Helm, and Tina M. ZottoliIndexAbout the Editors

"It is well-documented that when they are interrogated, adolescents are significantly more likely than adults to give false confessions and coerced confessions. This comprehensive guidebook, with contributions from the field's leading experts, is an indispensable resource for scholars interested in adolescence and the law and for attorneys who represent young defendants. I recommend it with great enthusiasm." - Laurence Steinberg, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and coauthor of Rethinking Juvenile Justice"Confessions and Guilty Pleas of Youth is a groundbreaking must-read from the leading experts on youth, development, and the law. Blending cutting-edge science with real world implications, the authors reveal how adolescent immaturity shapes decision making in the justice system—often leading young people to confess or plead guilty without fully understanding the stakes. Both powerful and illuminating, this book redefines what it means to achieve justice for youth." - Elizabeth Cauffman, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Education & Law; Director, Center for Psychology & Law; and Director, Master of Legal & Forensic Psychology, University of California, Irvine "Youth decision making is fundamentally different from that of adults, yet young people in the criminal system are often subjected to the same coercive pressures to confess and plead guilty. This is true for everyone caught in the system's web, including the innocent. This work contains a compelling and comprehensive collection of science, data, and insights into how youth think, making this a must-read for policymakers and anyone working with youth in the system." - Lucian E. Dervan, JD, Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Justice Studies, Belmont University College of Law, Nashville, TN, and Founding Director, Plea Bargaining Institute