Joplin R-8 administrators to receive training from national firm on interrogating children

Don't expect to hear the discussion about bringing representatives from a Chicago company to train Joplin R-8 administrators on the use of investigative techniques when the Board of Education meets 6 p.m. Tuesday at Royal Heights Elementary.

The $3,500 contract with John E. Reid and Associates for a seminar titled Developing Investigative Interviewing Skills for School Administrators is on the consent agenda meaning there will be no discussion.

According to documentation on the district's website, 20 administrators will attend the seminar. If any others are added to the list, the cost will be $185 apiece.

If you are familiar with television crime shows, you have seen the Reid technique for eliciting information, and many cases confessions, from suspects.

From the Wikipedia page on the Reid Technique:

The technique is known for creating a high pressure environment for the interviewee, followed by sympathy and offers of understanding and help, but only if a confession is forthcoming. Since its spread in the 1960s, it has been a mainstay of police procedure, especially in the United States.

The technique has been criticized for producing false confessions, especially from juveniles.

The following information on the Reid Technique for School Administrators seminar is provided on the company's website:

Part One: An overview, will focus on identifying the distinguishing characteristics between an interview and interrogation; how to properly set up the interview room; and provide an overview of the complete seven part program. (23 minutes and 12 seconds)

Part Two: The Foundation for Behavior Symptom Analysis. In Part Two we will begin the process of building the behavioral model for the truthful and deceptive subject by establishing the psychological principles that underly behavior symptom analysis, the various factors that can influence a subject's behavior and the rules that we have to follow in the evaluation of a subject's behavior. (13 minutes and 51 seconds)

In Part Three we will discuss the various nonverbal behaviors that the investigator should observe during the interview process for indications of truth or deception, including the subject's attitude and demeanor, posture, significant posture changes, use of illustrators, gestures and eye contact. (21 minutes and 1 second)

Part Four: Verbal Behavior. In Part Four we will discuss various verbal behaviors that the investigator should listen for during the interview process, including the subject's verbal content and choice of words; use of qualified answers; use of stalling or delay tactics; the amount of detail provided by the subject; references to God and religion; as well as the timing of response. At the conclusion of Part Four we will provide you with the behavioral model of the truthful subject and the behavioral model of the deceptive individual (17 minutes and 5 seconds)

Part Five: The Structure of the Investigative Interview. In Part Five we will discuss the three types of questions that should be included in all investigative interviews, with a detailed discussion of five behavior provoking questions (Punishment,, Think, Second Chance, Investigation Results and the Bait question) that can be used to assess the subject's credibility. (19 minutes and31 seconds)

Part Six: The Reid Nine Steps of Interrogation. In part Six you will learn how to initiate the interrogation process; how to offer the subject psychological justification for what they did; how to handle denials and how to use the alternative questions to develop the first admission of guilt. (29 minutes and 9 seconds)

Part Seven: Putting it all Together. In this final part you will see the complete interview of two subjects being questioned about a theft of money and the interrogation of the deceptive individual. These interviews and interrogation will illustrate all of the material that we have discussed in this program - proper room setting; verbal and nonverbal behavior; the structure of the interview; the use of behavior provoking questions; and the interrogation process. (46 minutes and 13 seconds)