Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Advisory Council

This Council is no longer in existence.  HF634 instituted the Justice Advisory Board and eliminated this council, the Public Safety Advisory Board, and the Sex Offender Research Council.   

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Key Eyewitness Identification & Interrogation Practices

The Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Advisory Council (Council) encourages all law enforcement agencies to consider adopting written policies surrounding evidence-based eyewitness identification procedures and interrogation practices. While many law enforcement agencies may have these best practice policies in place, the Council recommends all agencies consider written policies to ensure consistent and accountable procedures and practices.  

Research demonstrates that misidentification is the leading contributing factor to overturned wrongful convictions.  This not only impacts the wrongfully convicted, but poses a threat to public safety as the real perpetrator may be free to harm others.  
 

Nationally, 18 states have adopted eyewitness and interrogation reforms; however, Iowa is not one of them.  To ensure fair administration of justice throughout our state, it is the Council’s hope that law enforcement agencies will adopt consistent, written policies that include the ‘four core objectives’ to improve accuracy in eyewitness identifications—Blind/blinded administration, Using proper non-suspect fillers, Providing witness instructions, and Eliciting witness confidence statements.  
 

A copy of the model policies from the International Association of Chiefs of Police can be found here:

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Recent Council Meetings

• Document

  CJ-PSAB - SORC Agenda 5-15-2019.pdf (99.9 KB)

  CJ-PSAB - SORC Agenda 5-15-2019
  
  
  Document

  CJ-PSAB-SORC Minutes 5-15-2019.pdf (264.75 KB)

  CJ-PSAB-SORC Minutes 5-15-2019
   -- Note:  These are in draft form and were not approved due to it being the final meeting.

• Document

  CJ Council Agenda - 11-14-2018.pdf (99.75 KB)

  CJ Council Agenda - 11-14-2018
  
  
  Document

  CJ Council Minutes 11-14-2018.pdf (176.52 KB)

  CJ Council Minutes 11-14-2018

• Document

  CJ Council Agenda - 9-19-2018.pdf (83.76 KB)

  CJ Council Agenda - 9-19-2018
  
  
  Document

  CJ Council Minutes 9-19-2018.pdf (221.97 KB)

  CJ Council Minutes 9-19-2018

• Document

  CJ Agenda 5-16-2018.pdf (137.31 KB)

  CJ Agenda 5-16-2018.pdf
  
  
  Document

  CJ Minutes 5-16-2018.pdf (349.61 KB)

  CJ Minutes 5-16-2018

• CJ Agenda 11-15-2017
  

  Document

  CJ Minutes 11-15-2017.pdf (255.28 KB)

  CJ Minutes 11-15-2017

Council/Board Members