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201802 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.201802 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 55 pages Ditton, Emma Niebuhr, Robert Morales, Jerry Worrell, Hayley Barrett, The Honors College School of Criminology and Criminal Justice The landmark decision in Miranda v. Arizona was designed to serve as a strong safeguard against coercive police interrogations, ensuring that individuals understand and can assert their constitutional rights. However, the Miranda warnings often falls short of its intended purpose. While it is a routine part of the arrest process, Miranda rights are frequently misunderstood, manipulated, or ignored—particularly among vulnerable populations such as minors, non-native English speakers, and individuals with cognitive impairments. Police officers are legally allowed to use deceptive, coercive, manipulative, and high-pressure tactics to extract confessions. This creates an environment where compliance often replaces proper consent. These methods have contributed to a significant number of false confessions and wrongful convictions, casting doubt on the effectiveness of Miranda in its current form. Through psychological coercion, strategic deception, and widespread misunderstandings of individual rights, law enforcement has learned how to operate within the letter of Miranda while undermining its spirit. This thesis examines how the Miranda ruling has been eroded and rendered ineffective, supported by historical context and real-world examples, including the case of the Central Park Five, Gary Worrell v. Arizona, Louisiana v. Demesme, and Vega v. Tekoh. It also addresses the devastating consequences of false confessions, which impact the individuals and the justice system. Finally, the thesis proposes tangible reforms—such as mandatory officer training, legal education for youth, the adoption of non-coercive interrogation models like PEACE, and increased judicial accountability—to help restore the protective power of Miranda. Only through education, responsibility, and systemic reform can we rebuild public trust and ensure that constitutional rights are more than words recited during an arrest. Miranda Rights False confession The Miranda Warnings: How They Fail To Protect People From False Confessions