Some individuals express an overwhelming need to admit to their misconduct. Others have little choice but to do so when faced with overwhelming incriminating evidence. In both cases, the truth can be arrived at in an expedient manner and with minimal involvement from the criminal justice system – most suspects who confess to the police will not seek to retract their confession later but will admit guilt again prior to the trial by entering a plea of guilty. Assuming factual accuracy and a lack of coercion, a confession can be viewed as an optimum criminal justice outcome. Prosecutors are not faced with the task of determining whether the evidence suggests that conviction is a realistic prospect or in the public interest. Trial uncertainty is avoided. Limited state resources can be diverted to other cases, with the possibility that the additional resource secures the conviction of other offenders. The benefits of a confession go beyond the financial as victims, witnesses and defendants are spared the inconvenience and distress of attending court. All of these benefits are considerable.

Confessions are an incredibly powerful indicator of guilt in the eyes of jurors (Kassim, 1997; Watson et al, 2010; Garrett, 2011). Why someone may admit criminality is therefore important. Gudjonsso distinguishes between three general factors that explain why individuals make confessions: