The Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey published the following letter by Mark Hollingsworth regarding Madelaine Vitale’s 14 July article, “What’s the truth about polygraphs.” Mr. Hollingsworth’s letter is cited here in full:
Polygraphs aren’t so reliable
Regarding the July 14 story, “What’s the truth about polygraphs?”:
C’mon! An 85 percent to 95 percent success rate? Who told you that? The American Polygraph Association, citing its own studies, no doubt?
That’s sort of like putting the fox in charge of the hen house, isn’t it? Did State Police Sgt. Chris Pukenas happen to mention how many inmates are currently sitting in prison who did pass the polygraph?
There is no independent, repeatable, verifiable scientific evidence supporting polygraphy. It is pseudoscience at its best, witchcraft at its worse. You might as well be reading tea leaves.
But Pukenas would have us believe otherwise – indeed, his occupation depends on it.
MARK HOLLINGSWORTH
Absecon