Welcome to Crime Lab Report

Library & Archives \| Editorial Board \| Inside Crime Labs \| Media
CRIME LAB REPORT Media and public policy analysis for the forensic science community
Wed. January 20, 2010	Crime Lab Report is an independent organization that analyzes media coverage, public policy trends, and current issues affecting the profession of forensic science and its stakeholders.		Research our Library
	Recent Reports Responses from our readers on DNA Fixation editorial "Crime Lab Report’s recent editorial on “DNA fixation” generated more responses than any editorial in the history of our publication. Many of the responses were thoughtful, others were not. We think that you will find the following messages to our editorial board to be enlightening, educational, and, for one at least, somewhat humorous." DNA fixation harmful to justice system, offensive to victims "During the four hours it took Crime Lab Report to write this article, over 1,200 cases were worked by public crime laboratories in the United States. Less than 150 of those cases relied upon DNA testing. Congress must pay attention to the work of laboratory scientists like the fingerprint experts in Georgia who brought justice, and some closure, to the memory of a schoolteacher slain in a parking lot while waiting to give her daughter a ride home from work." Forensic Science Commissions: A waste of taxpayer dollars? "One can reasonably suspect that the individuals involved may have felt pressured to move cases out the door in a timely manner – a cultural problem, if you will, that becomes exacerbated when resources are not sufficient to keep laboratory capacity in line with demand." Innocence activism 'contaminates' forensic evidence, study warns "A comprehensive look at post-conviction litigation practices written by Crime Lab Report’s managing editors was recently published in the 2009 Journal of the Institute for the Advancement of Criminal Justice. IACJ is a nonprofit research organization based in Sacramento, California." Stochastics - The real science behind forensic pattern ID "The patterns observed in latent fingerprints, on bullets, in a person’s handwriting or on the bottom surface of their shoes are also the results of stochastic processes that cannot be controlled. Patterns that result from these processes are judged to be unique mainly because decades of observation and research have only validated the formulation of such judgments." 11/24/09 The National Academy of Sciences Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Science Community Washington, D.C. - A special National Academies committee convened in 2005 to examine current practices and conditions in the forensic sciences releases its much anticipated report on February 18, 2009. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States	Managing Editors John M. Collins Chief Managing Editor (866) 674-9194 x 101 Email Jay Jarvis Associate Managing Editor (866) 674-9194 x 102 Email Crime Lab Report's managing editors. Jay Jarvis (left) and John Collins (right). Major Publications by Crime Lab Report The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science 2009 - By John Collins & Jay Jarvis The final and definitive form of this publication was published by Taylor & Francis in Forensic Science Policy & Management - An International Journal. Click here to read the authors' prepublication draft New!! Contextual Contamination of Forensic Evidence by Post-Conviction Litigators 2009 - By John Collins & Jay Jarvis The final and definitive form of this publication was published by the Institute for the Advancement of Criminal Justice in its 2009 annual journal. Click here to read the article.
CRIME LAB REPORT Media and public policy analysis for the forensic science community 1921 W. Wilson Street, Suite A-252 Batavia, IL 60510 Tel: (866) 674-9194 Fax: (866) 809-4301 Email Us Copyright 2007-2009 by Crime Lab Report. All rights reserved. ABOUT US CONTACT US EDITORIAL POLICY PRIVACY POLICY TERMS AND CONDITIONS DISCLAIMER CORRECTIONS
This website contains opinions expressed by CRIME LAB REPORT, which is an independent organization. These opinions may not necessarily represent those of our sponsors or other organizations affiliated with CRIME LAB REPORT and its editors. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and contextual honesty, all opinions should be corroborated with independent research before being construed as factual. Crime Lab Report will quickly correct and/or retract any information demonstrated to be erroneous. We welcome opposing viewpoints and will publish responses from our readers, which may be edited for economy and clarity.