Interviewers should ask and carefully document the voluntariness of the confessions. And, interviewers should ask questions concerning the state of mind of the perpetrator at the time the offense(s) occurred. Information concerning medical conditions, alcohol use and abuse, drug use and abuse, depression, and threats or coercion should be documented. It also is important to remember that although the witness may eventually confess, in many instances the confession may not be complete or totally accurate. Remember, if someone is deceptive by his or her very nature, that person may not be completely truthful. Corroborating evidence and additional interviews may be required to substantiate the confession. …show more content…
It should be determined if original notes should be retained. Law-enforcement officers generally are required to retain original notes. The notes may be requested by opposing counsel pursuant to discovery requirements. It is recommended that narrative reports be written in third person. A third-person account is where the interviewer is stating his or her recollection of the events of the interview. The report should contain the date, time, location and persons present during the interview. An interview log is a good way of recording the times of significant events during the interview. As an example, the interview log may record when the interview commences, times of significant events during the interview such as breaks, telephone calls, and refreshments, and the conclusion of the interview. Written reports should be thoroughly reviewed and compared to the original