Timeline of APA Policies & Actions Related to Detainee Welfare and Professional Ethics in the Context of Interrogation and National Security

The American Psychological Association's (APA) position on torture is clear and unequivocal: Any direct or indirect participation in any act of torture or other forms of cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment by psychologists is strictly prohibited. There are no exceptions. Such acts as waterboarding, sexual humiliation, stress positions and exploitation of phobias are clear violations of APA's no torture/no abuse policy.

March 7, 2014

• APA Informs Federal Officials of Policy Changes Related to Detainee Welfare and Interrogation in National Security Settings

February 27, 2014

APA informs key federal and congressional officials of updates regarding APA policy related to detainee welfare and the role of psychologists in national security settings.

• Letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (PDF, 125KB)
• Letter to CIA Director John Brennan (PDF, 28KB)
• Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. (PDF, 28KB)
• Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services (PDF, 29KB)
• Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee (PDF, 125KB)
• Letter to Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (PDF, 29KB)
• Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (PDF, 29KB)
• Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (PDF, 29KB)
• Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee (PDF, 125KB)

February 20, 2014

• Statement by the APA Board of Directors on the “No Cause for Action” Decision Regarding the Ethics Complaint against Dr. John Leso (PDF, 131KB)

January 23, 2014

• APA Board of Directors and Ethics Committee Communiqué to the APA Council of Representatives in the matter of John Leso, PhD

December 20, 2013

• APA writes to inform President Barack Obama of new unified APA policy related to detainee welfare and the work of psychologists in national security settings.

July 31, 2013

• Council of Representatives adopts a single, comprehensive policy to reconcile prior resolutions focused on detainee welfare and the work of psychologists in national security settings: "Policy Related to Psychologists' Work in National Security Settings and Reaffirmation of the APA Position Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment"

December 5, 2011

• APA response to letter from Psychologists for an Ethical APA (PDF, 153KB)

December 1, 2011

• APA Calls for Defeat of Ayotte Amendment #1068 to S.1867
  APA writes to full Senate in opposition to the Ayotte amendment to the Defense Department authorization bill, which would have allowed the classified addition of lawful interrogation methods to the U.S. Army Field Manual.

July 25, 2011

• Comments and Feedback Requested on the Responses of the APA Ethics Committee to Questions, Comments, and Vignettes Regarding APA Policy on the Role of Psychologists in National Security-Related Activities (PDF, 129KB)

June 30, 2010

• APA letter to Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists re: complaint regarding Dr. James Elmer Mitchell (PDF, 95KB)

June 21, 2010

• APA Letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta (PDF, 20KB)

• APA Letter to Defense Department General Counsel Jeh Charles Johnson (PDF, 21KB)

June 1, 2010

• Amendments to the APA Ethics Code that address potential conflicts among professional ethics, law and organizational demands become effective

February 20, 2010

• APA Amends Ethics Code to Address Potential Conflicts Among Professional Ethics, Legal Authority and Organizational Demands

December 14, 2009

• APA Briefs Defense Department Officials on APA's Policies Related to Psychologists and Interrogation

August 5, 2009 

• APA Council of Representatives Directs Change in its Ethics Code to Prevent So-Called Nuremberg Defense

July 31, 2009

• Letter to Stephen DeMers, EdD, Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (PDF, 57KB)

June 18, 2009 

• Open Letter from Board of Directors to APA Members Regarding Psychologists' Participation in Interrogations (PDF, 58KB) 
  
• Ethics Committee Statement: No Defense to Torture Under the APA Ethics Code (PDF, 23KB) 

June 4, 2009 

• APA letter to President Barack Obama (PDF, 88KB) 
  
• APA letter to CIA Director Leon Panetta (PDF, 97KB) 
  
• APA letter to Attorney General Eric Holder (PDF, 91KB) 

May 28, 2009 

• APA Responds to Journal Nature editorial "Responsible Interrogation" (PDF, 25KB) 

May 15, 2009 

• APA Responds to British Medical Journal Article Comparing Interrogation Policies (PDF, 29KB) 

April 22, 2009 

• APA President James H. Bray, PhD, Releases Op-ed, "Saying It Again: Psychologists Must Never Participate in Torture"

March 2009 

• APA Central Office, at the Direction of the Council of Representatives, Forwards the Report of the APA Presidential Advisory Group on the Implementation of the Petition Resolution to Relevant Boards and Committees for Their Review and Appropriate Action

February 21, 2009 

• Council of Representatives Acts to Render Petition Resolution Official APA Policy (Monitor on Psychology) 

February 20, 2009 

• Council of Representatives Approves new APA Vision Statement that Includes Goal for APA to Serve as "An Effective Champion of the Application of Psychology to Promote Human Rights, Health, Well Being and Dignity"

January 22, 2009 

• APA Applauds President Obama's New Executive Orders Signaling Fundamental Change in the Rights and Treatment of Detainees
  

December 2008 

• Report of the APA Presidential Advisory Group on the Implementation of the Petition Resolution (PDF, 75KB) 

November 14-15, 2008 

• APA Presidential Advisory Group on the Implementation of the Petition Resolution Meets (PDF, 34KB) 

November 2008 

• Members Say No to Psychologist Involvement in Interrogations in Unlawful Detention Settings (Monitor on Psychology)

October 6, 2008 

• APA Letter to CIA Director Michael Hayden (PDF, 72KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (PDF, 72KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey (PDF, 126KB) 
  
• APA Letter to House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes and Ranking Member Pete Hoekstra (PDF, 71KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chair John D. Rockefeller IV and Vice Chair Christopher Bond (PDF, 72KB) 
  
• APA Letter to House Armed Service Committee Chairman Ike Skelton and Ranking Member Duncan Hunter (PDF, 73KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain (PDF, 73KB) 
  
• APA Letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and Ranking Member Lamar Smith (PDF, 72KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (PDF, 72KB) 

October 2, 2008 

• APA Letter to President Bush: New Policy Limits Psychologist Involvement in Interrogations

October 2008 

• APA 2008 President Alan E. Kazdin Appoints Advisory Group to Study Implementation of Petition Resolution (PDF, 75KB) 

September 17, 2008 

• APA Members Approve Petition Resolution that Limits Psychologists' Roles in Settings that Violate International Law or the U.S. Constitution

August 16, 2008 

• APA Releases Statement Expressing Concern About Alleged Involvement of Psychologist in Abusive Interrogation of Guantanamo Detainee

June 2008 

• APA's Board of Directors Approves Sending Petition Resolution to Membership

April 2008 

• APA Responds to Democracy Now Editorial "The Real Anti-Torture President" (PDF, 24KB) 

February 22, 2008 

• APA's Council of Representatives Approves Resolution Amending Previous Anti-Torture Policy to Specify Applicable International Treaties

February 15, 2008 

• APA Letter to President Bush (PDF, 48KB) 

February 4, 2008 

• APA Letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey (PDF, 126KB) 
  

November 6, 2007 

• APA Letter to House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Ranking Member Trent Franks (PDF, 68KB) 

November 1, 2007 

• APA Letter to President Bush (PDF, 33KB) 
  
• APA Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (PDF, 35KB) 
  
• APA Letter to CIA Director Michael Hayden (PDF, 33KB) 

September 21, 2007 

• APA Statement on Psychology and Interrogations Submitted to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (PDF, 45KB) 

August 20, 2007 

• APA Calls on U.S. Government to Prohibit Use of Unethical Interrogation Techniques

August 17-20, 2007 

• APA Puts on "Ethics and Interrogations" at Annual Convention in San Francisco. Program Consists of Nine, Two-Hour Sessions with Forty-Four Speakers Addressing All Aspects of Psychologists' Involvement in Interrogations (PDF, 86KB) 

August 19, 2007 

• APA Council of Representatives Passes Resolution Specifying Types of Prohibited Interrogation Techniques

July 18, 2007 

• APA Responds to "Vanity Fair" Article (PDF, 25KB) 

January 9, 2007 

• APA Responds to "Washington Monthly" Article (PDF, 16KB) 
  

September 2006 

• Letters to the Editor re: "Ethics and Interrogations: Comparing and Contrasting the American Psychological, American Medical and American Psychiatric Association Positions" (Monitor on Psychology)

August 10, 2006 

• APA Issues Release Reaffirming Unequivocal Position Against Torture and Abuse (PDF, 14KB) 

August 9, 2006 

• APA Council of Representatives Adopts Policy Reaffirming Opposition to Torture and Prohibition on Psychologist Participation

July 2006 

• President's Column: Varied and Valued Roles (Monitor on Psychology)
  
• Ethics and Interrogations: Comparing and Contrasting the American Psychological, American Medical and American Psychiatric Association Positions (Monitor on Psychology)

April 2006 

• Ethics and National Security (Monitor on Psychology)

August 29, 2005 

• APA Council Reviews Ethical Guidelines for Psychologists Participating in National Security-Related Investigations and Interrogations and Provides Direction for Additional Steps

August 4, 2005 

• APA Responds to Article in "The Lancet" (PDF, 26KB) 

July 5, 2005 

• APA Releases PENS Task Force Report

July 2005

• APA's Board of Directors Adopts the Task Force Report as APA Policy

June 24-26, 2005 

• PENS Task Force Meets
  
• APA's Board of Directors Adopts the Task Force Report as APA Policy

February 2005 

• APA's Board of Directors Approves Funds for the Establishment the Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security (the PENS Task Force)
  

2002

• APA Council of Representatives Passes Resolution Calling on Psychology Community to Work Toward an End to Terrorism in All its Manifestations
  

1986

• APA’s Council of Representatives Approves Resolution Opposing Torture and Affirms Support of the U.N. Declaration and Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the U.N. Principles of Medical Ethics, as well as the Joint Congressional Resolution Opposing Torture that was Signed into Law by President Reagan on October 4, 1984
  

1985

• APA Issues Joint Statement with the American Psychiatric Association Condemning Torture (PDF, 14KB)