Norfolk & Staffordshire Police Polygraph Data in UK Study

The University of Kent's Landmark Study

Between July 2017 and July 2019, the University of Kent conducted a two-year evaluation of police-led polygraph testing with individuals convicted or suspected of sexual offending [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. Commissioned by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), this study represented the largest and most rigorous assessment of police polygraph use ever undertaken in the United Kingdom [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures.

The primary police areas involved in the research were Greater Manchester (GMP), Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, South Yorkshire, and Northumbria [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. In addition to these core research sites, three further areas — Lancashire, Norfolk, and Staffordshire — supplied data on polygraph tests conducted for them, broadening the geographic and demographic reach of the evaluation [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. This multi-region approach was essential for demonstrating that polygraph testing works effectively across diverse police environments and offender populations.

The research was led by Professor Jane Wood, a Chartered Forensic Psychologist at Kent's Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP), alongside Dr Emma Alleyne, Dr Caoilte Ó Ciardha, and Professor Theresa Gannon [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. Their findings, published in March 2020, have since influenced national policy discussions and supported the expansion of polygraph testing across England and Wales. You can read more about the broader findings in the University of Kent Polygraph Study: 9 Police Forces, 800+ Offenders.

Study Design and Participant Numbers

The evaluation analysed polygraph tests across nine police areas, focusing on three distinct groups of sex offenders [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. Strand 1 comprised 557 individuals convicted of sexual offending who were undergoing police supervision. These supervisees were randomly assigned to either polygraph testing (voluntary or mandatory, depending on the police area) or a comparison group [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. Strand 2 included 142 individuals suspected of committing online sexual offences who were undergoing police investigation [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. Strand 3 covered 104 individuals convicted of sexual offending who had applied for removal of their notification requirements [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects.

Data collection was thorough and systematic. Kent researchers conducted weekly telephone calls with police Offender Managers, achieving a call response rate of 98.8% [3]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending (Full Report PDF)
Confirms 98.8% call response rate and detailed methodology of the national evaluation. Information was gathered every three months via follow-up forms, tracking risk-relevant disclosures (RRDs), the seriousness of those disclosures, and the actions taken in response [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures.

Building a Dedicated Polygraph Capability

Norfolk Constabulary has been a pioneering force in the adoption of polygraph testing for sex offender management. The force purchased its own polygraph equipment and trained three staff members to full American Polygraph Association (APA) accreditation standards [4]Verified Norfolk Police use Lie Detector Tests in the Risk Assessment Process
Confirms Norfolk Police tested 116 sex offenders, trained 3 APA-accredited officers, and DCS Balmer reported 9 cases safeguarding children. This investment gave Norfolk a dedicated in-house capability that enabled the force to conduct regular polygraph examinations on registered sex offenders (RSOs) as part of its risk assessment process.

A Norfolk Police spokesman described the initiative clearly: the polygraph is "most often employed in cases where officers want an extra tool to assist them in risk assessment" and provides "an additional and impartial insight into the threat of harm an offender may pose" [5]Verified Polygraph Examiners - Current vacancies: Norfolk Police
Confirms Norfolk Police job advert describing polygraph use for risk assessment of registered sex offenders and its use as an impartial insight tool. The force acknowledged that polygraph results would never be the sole factor on which decisions are based, but emphasised the value of having an objective, science-based tool alongside traditional supervision methods.

HMICFRS's PEEL assessment confirmed that the unit managing RSOs in Norfolk is fully staffed, including polygraph-trained officers [6]Verified Norfolk Constabulary PEEL Assessment 2021/2022
Confirms Norfolk RSO unit is fully staffed with polygraph-trained officers and that 74 SHPOs were issued in the year ending March 2021. This ensures that polygraph testing is integrated into everyday offender management, not treated as a standalone process. If you are in the area and want to explore polygraph services, see our Lie Detector Test in Norfolk page.

Results and Impact: Safeguarding Children

The practical impact of Norfolk's polygraph programme has been significant. By the time data was being supplied to the University of Kent evaluation, 116 sex offenders in Norfolk had undergone polygraph tests, while 65 had refused to participate [4]Verified Norfolk Police use Lie Detector Tests in the Risk Assessment Process
Confirms Norfolk Police tested 116 sex offenders, trained 3 APA-accredited officers, and DCS Balmer reported 9 cases safeguarding children. Those who refused testing were considered to potentially present a higher risk.

Norfolk Constabulary's Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Balmer reported that the programme had already produced 9 cases where "direct positive interventions have safeguarded children" [4]Verified Norfolk Police use Lie Detector Tests in the Risk Assessment Process
Confirms Norfolk Police tested 116 sex offenders, trained 3 APA-accredited officers, and DCS Balmer reported 9 cases safeguarding children. Polygraph results led to the disclosure of sex offenders' previous convictions, enabling their associates and the wider community to be better informed about the risks these individuals posed. This is exactly the type of outcome the national evaluation was designed to measure and validate.

The force also explored broader applications for polygraph technology. Norfolk Police considered that polygraph examinations could be implemented for the assessment of police personnel, and research being carried out at Kent University was seen as potentially opening the door for test results to be considered as evidence in court proceedings [4]Verified Norfolk Police use Lie Detector Tests in the Risk Assessment Process
Confirms Norfolk Police tested 116 sex offenders, trained 3 APA-accredited officers, and DCS Balmer reported 9 cases safeguarding children.

Supplying Polygraph Data from the Midlands

Staffordshire Police, serving the communities of Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, and surrounding areas, was one of three additional forces that supplied polygraph data to the University of Kent evaluation [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. While not operating as a primary research site with randomised allocation, Staffordshire's contribution of real-world polygraph testing data added valuable geographic and operational diversity to the study.

The inclusion of Staffordshire alongside Norfolk and Lancashire was significant because it extended the evaluation's reach beyond the six core police areas. This meant the findings could be validated across different force sizes, demographic profiles, and operational contexts — strengthening the case for nationwide rollout of polygraph testing. For information on polygraph testing in the area, visit our Lie Detector Test in Staffordshire page.

The Importance of Regional Diversity in Research

By including data from forces like Staffordshire and Norfolk, the University of Kent researchers ensured that their conclusions would be robust and applicable across England and Wales. Different regions face different challenges in sex offender management — from urban caseload pressures in metropolitan areas to the dispersed populations of more rural counties.

The data from all nine police areas collectively demonstrated that polygraph testing produces consistent results regardless of location or force size [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. This regional diversity was a key factor in the NPCC's confidence that polygraph testing could be recommended as a standard tool for all police forces. As Chief Constable Michelle Skeer, the NPCC's lead for the Management of Sexual and Violent Offenders, stated: the research "recommends the introduction of mandatory tests for convicted sex offenders as being the most effective method of monitoring them by police" [7]Verified Sex offenders reveal more risk-relevant disclosures through polygraph testing
Confirms Professor Jane Wood's statement on findings and Chief Constable Michelle Skeer's recommendation for mandatory polygraph testing.

Dramatic Increase in Risk-Relevant Disclosures

The headline finding from the University of Kent Polygraph Study: 9 Police Forces, 800+ Offenders was transformative for UK policing policy. Supervisees undergoing polygraph testing were nearly 6 times more likely to make at least one risk-relevant disclosure (RRD) compared to those in the comparison group [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. This applied across all levels of risk, meaning both lower-risk and higher-risk offenders were significantly more likely to reveal critical information when polygraph testing was part of their supervision.

For suspects of online sexual offences, the results were even more striking — polygraphed suspects were over 7 times more likely to make at least one RRD compared to those not tested [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. Among applicants seeking removal of their notification requirements, the difference was extraordinary: polygraph-tested applicants were 42.5 times more likely to make at least one RRD, and not a single comparison applicant made any disclosure at all [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects.

Comparison applicants were nearly 5 times more likely to succeed in their applications for removal of notification requirements, suggesting that without polygraph testing, individuals who may still pose a risk were slipping through the system undetected [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. This finding alone underscored the critical safeguarding value of polygraph testing.

Mandatory Testing Outperforms Voluntary Testing

One of the evaluation's most important policy conclusions was that mandatory polygraph testing is more effective than voluntary testing [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures. While voluntary and mandatory polygraphed supervisees were equally likely to make RRDs when tests actually went ahead, voluntary polygraph tests often failed to proceed because individuals could simply decline to participate [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects.

This finding directly informed the recommendation that polygraph testing should be made mandatory for convicted sex offenders under police supervision. The research showed that the disclosure benefit of polygraph testing was consistent, but only if offenders could not opt out. Offender managers overwhelmingly supported this view, rating the helpfulness of the polygraph at over 5 on a 7-point scale, regardless of whether RRDs had been made [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects.

The Pre-Test Interview Effect

An important finding was that polygraphed supervisees made more RRDs during the pre-polygraph interview than in the post-polygraph interview [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. This demonstrates what practitioners have long observed: the mere prospect of being connected to a polygraph instrument encourages offenders to disclose information before the examination even begins. The polygraph acts as a powerful psychological catalyst for honesty.

When polygraph test results indicated a significant response (i.e., potential deception), this was associated with higher levels of post-test interview disclosures [2]Verified New research finds polygraphs effective for sex offenders
Confirms detailed findings across all three strands of the Wood et al. (2020) evaluation including 42.5x disclosure rate for applicants and 7x for suspects. This shows that the polygraph process works at multiple stages — encouraging disclosure both before and after the actual examination.

The Offender Management Act 2007 and Mandatory Testing

The legal foundation for polygraph testing of sex offenders in England and Wales was established by the Offender Management Act 2007 [8]Verified Polygraph Examinations Policy Framework
Confirms HMPPS policy on polygraph use for sexual and terrorist offenders, Section 30 protections, and APA training requirements for examiners. Sections 28-30 of the Act enable a polygraph condition to be inserted into the release licence of certain persons convicted of specified sexual offences [8]Verified Polygraph Examinations Policy Framework
Confirms HMPPS policy on polygraph use for sexual and terrorist offenders, Section 30 protections, and APA training requirements for examiners. The Act required the provisions to be piloted before full implementation.

The mandatory polygraph pilot took place in eight probation trusts from January 2009 to March 2012 [9]Verified Offender Management Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2013 - Hansard Debate
Confirms mandatory polygraph pilot in eight probation trusts from January 2009 to March 2012, full commencement on 6 January 2014, and House of Lords approval. This earlier pilot was also evaluated by the University of Kent, led by Professor Theresa Gannon and Professor Jane Wood. The pilot compared 332 sex offenders supervised with polygraph testing against 303 without [10]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing Pilot Study for Sexual Offenders
Confirms pilot study comparing 332 sex offenders with polygraph vs 303 without, finding polygraph doubled disclosures and was directly referenced in House of Commons debates. The results showed that the polygraph group made significantly higher numbers of clinically significant disclosures, and the polygraph effectively doubled the number of disclosures [10]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing Pilot Study for Sexual Offenders
Confirms pilot study comparing 332 sex offenders with polygraph vs 303 without, finding polygraph doubled disclosures and was directly referenced in House of Commons debates.

Following the successful pilot, the provisions were fully commenced on 6 January 2014, enabling mandatory polygraph testing as a licence condition for sexual offenders throughout England and Wales [9]Verified Offender Management Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2013 - Hansard Debate
Confirms mandatory polygraph pilot in eight probation trusts from January 2009 to March 2012, full commencement on 6 January 2014, and House of Lords approval. This legislative change was directly referenced in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, with Justice Minister Jeremy Wright citing the University of Kent evaluation as key evidence [10]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing Pilot Study for Sexual Offenders
Confirms pilot study comparing 332 sex offenders with polygraph vs 303 without, finding polygraph doubled disclosures and was directly referenced in House of Commons debates. Learn more about the academic who drove this research at Professor Don Grubin: The Academic Behind UK Polygraph Law.

Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Police Polygraph

Beyond the probation-led mandatory testing under licence conditions, police forces like Norfolk and Staffordshire use polygraph testing in the context of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs). The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced the possibility of positive requirements in SHPOs, including requirements to take a polygraph test [11]Verified Registration and management of sex offenders
Confirms the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 enabled positive requirements including polygraph testing in SHPOs. Prior to this Act, SHPOs could only include prohibitions.

Refusing to take a polygraph test when required by an SHPO can result in a prison sentence of up to 5 years [12]Verified Lie Detector Polygraph Testing for Sex Offenders
Confirms offenders can receive up to 5 years imprisonment for refusing polygraph tests required by SHPOs, and describes police applications for polygraph conditions. Police forces are increasingly submitting applications for sex offenders to be required to cooperate with polygraph testing as part of their SHPOs. HMICFRS has noted the effective use of polygraph machines to support SHPOs in several police areas [6]Verified Norfolk Constabulary PEEL Assessment 2021/2022
Confirms Norfolk RSO unit is fully staffed with polygraph-trained officers and that 74 SHPOs were issued in the year ending March 2021.

Norfolk Constabulary issued 74 SHPOs in the year ending 31 March 2021, with 21 breaches recorded [6]Verified Norfolk Constabulary PEEL Assessment 2021/2022
Confirms Norfolk RSO unit is fully staffed with polygraph-trained officers and that 74 SHPOs were issued in the year ending March 2021. The integration of polygraph testing into the SHPO framework gives police forces an additional tool to monitor compliance and detect potential risks. Related approaches are explored in our articles about Kent Police Polygraph Programme: Supporting SHPOs and Essex Police Leads UK Polygraph Testing: 99 Exams in 2022.

The Risk Assessment Process

Norfolk Police explicitly do not use the polygraph to establish guilt or innocence. Its application is specifically to assess and manage the potential risk posed by sex offenders [4]Verified Norfolk Police use Lie Detector Tests in the Risk Assessment Process
Confirms Norfolk Police tested 116 sex offenders, trained 3 APA-accredited officers, and DCS Balmer reported 9 cases safeguarding children. This is consistent with the approach taken by all UK police forces and the National Probation Service.

In the UK, Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT) is managed by the National Probation Service (NPS), which uses a combination of psychological assessments, polygraph tests, and other monitoring methods to assess the risk of reoffending [13]Verified UK Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT)
Confirms the National Probation Service manages PCSOT with dedicated teams of psychologists and polygraph examiners. The NPS has a dedicated PCSOT team comprising experienced psychologists and polygraph examiners who work together to provide comprehensive risk assessments [13]Verified UK Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT)
Confirms the National Probation Service manages PCSOT with dedicated teams of psychologists and polygraph examiners.

Polygraph examinations typically take place within 8 to 16 weeks of an offender's release, with subsequent examinations every 3 to 6 months depending on outcomes [14]Verified Information booklet for people on licence for a sex offence
Confirms polygraph examinations occur within 8-16 weeks of release and every 3-6 months thereafter. The information obtained during testing is used by Offender Managers to refine and improve risk management plans, and can be shared with police for further investigation where appropriate [8]Verified Polygraph Examinations Policy Framework
Confirms HMPPS policy on polygraph use for sexual and terrorist offenders, Section 30 protections, and APA training requirements for examiners.

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

Polygraph testing forms a vital component of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), the system through which police, prison, and probation services work together to manage the most dangerous offenders. Under MAPPA, information gleaned through polygraph testing is shared across agencies to ensure coordinated risk management [15]Verified Mandatory polygraph tests factsheet
Confirms MAPPA information sharing from polygraph tests and GMP endorsement of polygraph as mandatory licence condition.

The national evaluation confirmed that when polygraphed offenders made risk-relevant disclosures, Offender Managers were more likely to take active protective steps — including increasing supervision levels, informing MAPPA, changing the focus of supervision, or issuing formal warnings [10]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing Pilot Study for Sexual Offenders
Confirms pilot study comparing 332 sex offenders with polygraph vs 303 without, finding polygraph doubled disclosures and was directly referenced in House of Commons debates. In some cases, disclosures led directly to recall to custody. This multi-layered approach means polygraph testing does not operate in isolation but feeds into a broader system of public protection.

Forces across the UK are expanding their use of polygraph testing as part of this framework. Learn more about how other forces are implementing similar programmes in our articles on GMP's Sex Offender Unit: Polygraph Testing & 5,000+ RSOs, Lancashire Police Polygraph: Sex Offender Monitoring, and Hampshire Probation: 1,000+ Annual Polygraph Tests.

Expansion Beyond Sexual Offences

The success of polygraph testing with sex offenders has led to its expansion into other areas of criminal justice. Polygraph testing has been fully implemented for sex offenders and now applies to a wider cohort of offenders, including terrorist offenders under the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021, and domestic abuse offenders under a pilot commenced by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 [16]Verified The Polygraph (Amendment) Rules 2022
Confirms polygraph testing expanded to terrorist and domestic abuse offenders via Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 and Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

The Government's Polygraph Examinations Policy Framework confirms that HMPPS is committed to using polygraph examinations as a strategy to monitor and manage those convicted of serious sexual offences, terrorist offences, and offences with a terrorist element [8]Verified Polygraph Examinations Policy Framework
Confirms HMPPS policy on polygraph use for sexual and terrorist offenders, Section 30 protections, and APA training requirements for examiners. By 2021, the National Probation Service had carried out over 5,000 polygraph tests on sexual offenders, with two-thirds resulting in significant disclosures that enabled better risk management [17]Verified Polygraph testing measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill: Equalities Impact Assessment
Confirms over 5,000 polygraph tests carried out on sexual offenders with two-thirds resulting in significant disclosures.

The independent 2022 review of police-led sex offender management recommended that the College of Policing develop a training programme specifically for polygraph testing in offender management, to be made available to all forces [18]Verified Independent review into the police-led management of registered sex offenders in the community
Confirms recommendation for College of Policing to develop a polygraph training programme for all forces. This reflects the growing consensus that polygraph testing should be a standard capability for every police force in England and Wales.

Research Supporting Police Polygraph Use

The evidence base supporting polygraph use in sex offender management has grown substantially. The earlier Gannon et al. (2012) mandatory polygraph pilot study established that the polygraph doubled the number of clinically significant disclosures and that offender managers found it "extremely helpful" for managing offenders [10]Verified Mandatory Polygraph Testing Pilot Study for Sexual Offenders
Confirms pilot study comparing 332 sex offenders with polygraph vs 303 without, finding polygraph doubled disclosures and was directly referenced in House of Commons debates. The later Wood et al. (2020) evaluation confirmed and extended these findings across a much larger, more diverse sample [1]Verified An Evaluation of Polygraph Testing by Police to Manage Individuals Convicted or Suspected of Sexual Offending
Confirms Norfolk and Staffordshire supplied data to the 2017-2019 national evaluation across nine police areas involving 800+ individuals, finding polygraph-tested supervisees nearly 6 times more likely to make risk-relevant disclosures.

Professor Jane Wood summarised the conclusions powerfully: "Our findings support the police use of polygraph testing, particularly mandatory polygraph testing, as a supportive tool for managing individuals convicted of sexual offences who live in the community. This is because polygraph testing elicits important new information related to risk that would ordinarily remain unknown" [7]Verified Sex offenders reveal more risk-relevant disclosures through polygraph testing
Confirms Professor Jane Wood's statement on findings and Chief Constable Michelle Skeer's recommendation for mandatory polygraph testing. This body of evidence, to which Norfolk and Staffordshire directly contributed data, represents a compelling case for the continued and expanded use of polygraph testing in UK policing.

For those interested in the wider research landscape, our Polygraph Research Database contains peer-reviewed studies on deception detection methodologies.

Community Applications Beyond Policing

While police-led polygraph testing focuses on sex offender management, private polygraph testing serves a wide range of community needs in Norfolk and Staffordshire. Individuals and families turn to polygraph examinations to resolve trust issues, verify claims of fidelity, and support addiction recovery.

In Norfolk, private polygraph testing can be arranged through our Lie Detector Test in Norfolk service, while Staffordshire residents can access testing via our Lie Detector Test in Staffordshire page. These examinations follow the same rigorous APA-standard protocols used in law enforcement settings.

Polygraph testing has proven particularly valuable for families dealing with Gambling Addiction & Lies: UK Families Use Polygraph and for Addiction Recovery & Polygraph: UK Therapists Use Testing. The growing acceptance of polygraph testing in policing has helped normalise its use in private contexts, giving individuals confidence that they are using a trusted, evidence-based tool. To arrange a private test, visit our Book a Polygraph Test page.