Listen Now: “All Things Considered” Talks National Academy of Sciences Study on Eyewitness Identification

A recent episode of NPR’s “All Things Considered” discussed last month’s landmark report by the National Academy of Sciences that evaluated the scientific research on eyewitness identification and how DNA exonerations have proven that memories are imperfect. The discussion included University of Virginia law professor Brandon Garrett, who was on the committee that produced the report. Garrett noted that the way most police departments perform identification procedures hasn’t caught up to the research, which began over three decades ago. The report makes specific recommendations on how departments can prevent wrongful convictions by adopting best practices, included requiring that they be conducted blindly – meaning the officer who conducts the lineup be unaware of the identity of the suspect.

Listen to the interview

 and 

read more about the recent NAS report on memory and eyewitness identification

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