Self-Reported False Confessions and False Guilty Pleas Among Offenders with Mental Illness

False admissions account for twenty-five percent of wrongful arrests and convictions in the United States. The true percentage is likely much higher because of the seriousness of the crimes charged, types of admissions provided, and self-reported nature of false admissions. People with mental illness are especially at risk of providing false admissions because of their limited capacity and repeated cycling through the justice system. This self-report study surveyed 1,249 offenders with mental disorders from six sites across five states. Researchers asked whether participants ever confessed and/or pled guilty to a crime they did not commit and, if so, what influenced that decision. Researchers also collected demographic data including gender, race, criminal background, and years of education received. Depending upon the site, self-reports of false confessions ranged from nine to twenty-eight percent, while false guilty pleas ranged from twenty-seven to forty-one percent. Minorities, offenders with longer criminal careers, and more-symptomatic participants were significantly more likely to have reported providing false admissions. Sixty-five percent of the false confessors claimed they wanted to stop police questioning, get out of jail, or go home. Eighty-four percent of false confessors also claimed to have falsely pled guilty, while forty-nine percent of false guilty pleaders also claimed to have falsely confessed. The study emphasizes how reforms are necessary to limit the number of false admissions.

“[P]ersons with mental illness have been identified as being at risk for [false confessions]. . . . [T]here may be two complementary reasons. First are the defining characteristics of mental illness within the context of psychologically manipulative interrogations. Second, because of the repeated cycling through the criminal justice system and related jail stays, the opportunity to provide false admissions is enhanced. For these same reasons, persons with serious mental illness are also likely to be at risk for [false guilty pleas].” p. 82