Project Aletheia

Project Aletheia was founded in 2020 by Maria Hartwig, Ph.D., a psychological scientist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, and Mark Fallon, a former career NCIS special agent and Homeland Security Senior Executive. Project Aletheia is born out of a mutual sense that science can be enhanced by collaboration with practitioners, and conversely, that practice can be enhanced by collaboration with scientists.

Project Aletheia is a platform for bridging the gap between science and practice in interrogation, spanning the breadth of law enforcement and the national security space. The premise of the Project is that we are stronger together, that we can mutually benefit from each other’s knowledge and experience - and that by joining forces, we can be the change that is needed for global, systemic reform of the justice system.

Project Aletheia is named after the Greek goddess of truth, a daughter of Zeus. The classic and modern interpretation of Aletheia is truth as disclosure; the state of being unconcealed.
Project Aletheia is a platform of exchange of thought for those who understand that interrogation is a process – a complex and adaptive process – where conditions impact outcomes, and where the ultimate outcome is the revelation of truth. It is a forum for those who have come to recognize that good practice is founded on objectivity, open-mindedness, strategic thought, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.

The chief objective of Project Aletheia is to stimulate scholarship and improve practice, with the ultimate objective being substantive systemic justice reform. The sole requisite of joining the Project is having an interest in the interplay between science and practice. A related objective is to offer a forum of exchange for those who seek to study practice, and for those in practice concerned with the scientific basis for that practice. A third objective is to offer a content-rich and interactive platform, where questions can be posed and answers can be found. The community of interest that Project Aletheia aims to engage are those seeking integrated advancement of the practice that is informed by science.

Those interested in being kept up to date on future Project Aletheia news, please email projectaletheia@jjay.cuny.edu and include the subject line: Subscribe.

Please keep an eye out for updates on Project Aletheia’s full web presence, at https://project-aletheia.org.