The Justice Policy Center's Forensic Science researchers assess the processes by which forensic disciplines aid criminal investigations and the policy issues that arise when science and the law intersect. Current projects are listed below.
The Forensics Blueprint for Law Enforcement
The project assesses the contribution of forensics to crime reduction, recommend best practices for evidence collection and analysis, forecast growth of forensic technology in criminal investigations and describe policy implications for the criminal justice system. Researchers are working to produce three products: 1) a description of the current state of forensic technologies and procedures, highlighting emerging trends and progressive policies; 2) an analysis of lab case processing to forecast trends in the growth and effectiveness of forensic evidence in criminal investigations; and 3) a report, the Blueprint, identifying key policy implications of these trends. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
DNA Field Experiment
This project is a one year follow-up to an evaluation of the DNA Field Experiment, a randomized study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of collecting and processing DNA evidence in high-volume property crime investigations across five demonstration sites (Denver, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix and Topeka). The follow-up study tracks cases for an additional year, estimating the total cost and total benefit of those cases. Using criminal history information of those identified through DNA-assisted investigations in the demonstration sites, criminal career trajectories are being modeled. These trajectory models inform benefit estimates by projecting future offending that was averted through incarceration. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
Post Conviction DNA Testing and Wrongful Conviction
During this project, researchers are examining the outcome of DNA testing in cases that resulted in a conviction for a serious person crime in Virginia and Arizona in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The goal of the study is to determine the rate at which DNA testing on biological evidence in closed cases results in: 1) exculpatory evidence leading to exoneration; 2) potentially exculpatory evidence that is insufficient to exonerate; 3) inculpatory evidence; and, 4) no new results due to degradation of old evidence. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
Evaluation of the NIJ DNA Forensic Lab Unit Efficiency Program
The Urban Institute is evaluating the productivity and stage level efficiency outcomes of an NIJ program that funded six forensic laboratories across the United States to improve DNA evidence processing in ways other than simply increasing capacity. Individual laboratory initiatives include process mapping, increased processing automation, new chemical testing processes and the implementation of new laboratory information systems.
Assessing the Performance of Juvenile DNA Project
This project investigates the collection and use of juvenile offender DNA in the United States. The study documents the relevant laws, policies, procedures, and challenges in each state, using several complementary data collection activities. First, researchers are conducting interviews with state laboratory directors and Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) administrators to determine what policies and challenges states have faced. Second, researchers are collecting descriptive statistics on records maintained in DNA databases to determine the volume, share, and characteristics of juvenile DNA samples. In five jurisdictions, researchers are interviewing key stakeholders to gain a more complete understanding of the implications of juvenile DNA collection. Researchers are also conducting a more in depth case study of two jurisdictions. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
2009 Census of Publicly Funded Crime Laboratories
The Justice Policy Center is conducting a census survey of the approximately 400 publicly-funded crime laboratories in the United States. This research will build upon previous surveys, which were conducted in 1998 and 2005. The previous survey instrument will be updated, using guidance from a group of crime laboratory experts and staff from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Topical areas to be explored in the census will include crime lab workloads and operations, evidence analysis and processing, organizational structures, budget expenditures, and backlogs for forensics services.
Motor Vehicle Theft Field Experiment
This project is an evaluation of the Motor Vehicle Theft DNA Field Experiment, a randomized study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of collecting and processing DNA evidence in motor vehicle theft investigations between two demonstration sites (New York and Dallas). Additional goals of this study are to investigate: 1) if adding DNA to traditional investigative procedures results in changes to case outcomes; 2) if biological sample attributes are associated with these changes; 3) if suspects identified via DNA have more serious criminal histories; and 4) if DNA-aided investigations reduce the rate of motor vehicle theft in the targeted areas. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
Examining the Policies, Practices, and Implications of Collecting DNA from Arrestees
This study examines the policies, practices, and implications of expanding state and federal DNA databases to include arrestees. As of April, 2009, fifteen states and the federal government had enacted legislation requiring the collection of DNA from arrestees, and similar legislation had been introduced in many other states. This research aims to shed light on the implementation of these laws, examining the public safety benefits of collecting DNA from arrestees and the associated fiscal, legal, and logistical challenges. Specifically, researchers are compiling state laws, interviewing lab and criminal justice officials in jurisdictions with arrestee DNA laws, collecting descriptive statistics about arrestees in CODIS and in parallel case processing databases and conducting five site visits to delve into the perceived advantages and challenges of collecting arrestee DNA. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
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