Join us on Thursday, August 8, at 12:00 p.m. ET, as we welcome Melissa Russano, Professor of Criminal Justice at the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University, to dicuss cognitive interviews. She will discuss the various types of false confessions that can come from interrogations, such as voluntary false confessions, coerced-compliant false confessions, and coerced-internalized false confessions, as well as individual and situational risk factors. Dr. Russano will also discuss how to remedy these risk factors, including cognitive interview best practices, such as a focus on information-gathering, good questioning and active listening, and strategic use of evidence. 

Presenters:

Melissa Russano, Ph.D.

Melissa Russano is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Roger Williams University. She holds a Ph.D. in Legal Psychology from Florida International University (2004) and her primary area of research is investigative interviewing, including the processes of interrogation and confession.  She has published numerous scholarly articles, and her work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Justice via the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group. At the graduate level, she teaches courses in Research Methods, legal psychology, and investigative interviewing.

Melissa Russano, Professor of Criminal Justice at the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University, will present a webinar on cognitive interviews. She will discuss the various types of false confessions that can come from interrogations, such as voluntary false confessions, coerced-compliant false confessions, and coerced-internalized false confessions, as well as individual and situational risk factors. Dr. Russano will also discuss how to remedy these risk factors, including cognitive interview best practices, such as a focus on information-gathering, good questioning and active listening, and strategic use of evidence.