NCJ Number
191343
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 10-15
Editor(s)
Donald Krapohl
Date Published
2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reviews polygraph examination issues in New Jersey prisons, including the interview process, and the effectiveness of polygraphs in investigating crimes within the prison system.
Abstract
In the state of New Jersey, the job of investigating crimes within the state prison system is handled by the New Jersey Department of Corrections’ Special Investigations Division. New Jersey has 14 state prisons with a combined inmate population of over 30,000. The Special Investigations Division is also responsible for conducting internal investigations on a correctional staff that numbers over 6,000. The use of the polygraph by the Special Investigations Division is invaluable in helping to solve a multitude of crimes and infractions. The issues reviewed in this article include: preparing and conducting the interview, the pretest interview, question formulation, confidentiality, and prison informants. The author concludes that polygraph use during informant operations proved to be highly successful within the investigative field of the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC). It is also argued that the polygraph is usually the only corroborating piece of evidence in attaining confirmation of an informant’s statements.