The National Academy of Sciences published a breakthrough report Thursday evaluating scientific research on memory and eyewitness identification. As eyewitness misidentification is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in the United States, the report recommends best practices to improve police identification procedures and handling eyewitness evidence in the courts.
The report discusses the limitations and fallibility in human visual perception and memory, as well as law enforcement procedures that can unintentionally cause eyewitness misidentification.
“Human visual perception and memory are changeable, the ability to recognize individuals is imperfect, and policies governing law enforcement procedures are not standard — and any of these limitations can produce mistaken identifications with serious consequences,” said Thomas Albright, co-chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ committee that wrote the report.
Recommendations for standardized procedures for eyewitness IDs and best practices for both law enforcement officials and the courts are enumerated in the report. According to the report, practices such as videotaping the witness identification process, implementing double-blind lineups and photo array procedures, and making juries aware of prior identifications will increase the likelihood of accuracy in eyewitness identification and potentially prevent future wrongful convictions.
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