This project examines the rapid rise of police voluntary interviews across England and evaluates whether suspects’ rights and vulnerabilities are adequately safeguarded in practice. Unlike post-arrest interviews conducted in police custody suites, voluntary interviews can take place in a range of settings – both inside and outside the police station – including homes, workplaces and vehicles, and are recorded using digital technologies such as body-worn cameras. Recent reforms to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and updated 2024 guidance on voluntary interviewing from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have expanded their use, yet there is currently no robust empirical evidence examining how procedural safeguards operate across these varied environments.

Through a mixed-methods study across two police forces, the research analyses audio-visual recorded (suspect) interviews, observes practice, conducts interviews with officers, legal representatives and advocacy organisations, and examines police systems data to assess patterns in interview use, outcomes and recording quality. The analysis will explore whether there are variations in how voluntary interviews are used and experienced across different groups, including in relation to race and gender, and whether any differences are evident in investigative processes or outcomes.

The research directly supports a number of national priorities, including the NPCC Race Action Plan, inspection standards under HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) PEEL framework, and the 2025 Science and Technology priorities of the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser. By examining how place, space and digital recording technologies shape the identification and management of suspect vulnerability, and suspects’ access to due process rights, the project advances understanding of the socio-material conditions of police interviews in contemporary justice systems.

The project will deliver evidence-informed recommendations and a digital decision-making tool to support consistent, rights-compliant and vulnerability-aware practice across forces. Ultimately, it seeks to ensure that investigative efficiency, technological innovation and flexibility do not come at the expense of fairness, equality, dignity or access to justice -particularly for racially minoritised and otherwise vulnerable adult suspects.

Project Team

• Dr Lindsey Rice (Principal Investigator), University of Sheffield
• Professor Layla Skinns (Co-Investigator), University of Sheffield
• Jamie McLaughlin (Senior Research Software Engineer, Digital Humanities Institute), University of Sheffield