Across the United States, law enforcement officers are permitted to use deception tactics when interrogating minors, such as lying about the evidence they have or the sentence someone could receive if convicted -- leading to false confessions and wrongful convictions. These tactics exploit the vulnerabilities of young people and undermine the integrity of our justice system.

False confessions are a leading cause of wrongful convictions in the United States, and young people are particularly susceptible to these coercive tactics. Of the 268 minors who were wrongly convicted as children, 34% falsely confessed -- compared to just 10% of adults.

It is time for Congress to take decisive action to address this crisis. We need strong, enforceable legislation that will ban law enforcement from using deception when interrogating minors.

The consequences of inaction are dire. Innocent young people are having their lives ruined by false confessions extracted through deceptive tactics. Families are being torn apart, and public trust in our justice system is eroding.

We must call upon our elected officials to put the rights and well-being of our youth first and stand up to protect them from coercive interrogation practices.

Already the states of California, Delaware, Illinois, Oregon, and Utah have passed legislation. Now we need Congress to act to protect young people nationwide.

Add your name to tell Congress to support legislation banning police deception tactics against minors during interrogations now.