Forensic Science and the Administration of Justice

Kevin J. Strom, Ph.D., directs the Policing, Security, and Investigative Science Program at RTI International. His research activity is focused on the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system, law enforcement responses to community violence and terrorism, and crime- and forensic data–reporting systems. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals that include Criminology & Public Policy, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, and Crime & Delinquency. Dr. Strom has led numerous law enforcement– and forensic-related studies, including projects that have developed recommendations for increasing efficiency in forensic evidence processing. This research has included assessing how forensic evidence is collected, processed, used, and retained across law enforcement, crime laboratories, and prosecutors’ offices. Dr. Strom has been an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee since 2009. Before joining RTI, he was employed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. He received his Ph.D. in criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park.Matthew J. Hickman, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Seattle University. His research interests include issues in policing, quantitative research methodology, and the impact of forensic sciences on the administration of justice. He was previously a statistician at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, where he specialized in the development and analysis of national data collections on law enforcement and the forensic sciences. His work has been published in Criminology, Criminology & Public Policy, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Crime & Delinquency, Police Quarterly, and Policing. He co-edited a volume titled Police Integrity and Ethics and has contributed book chapters to Race, Ethnicity and Policing: New and Essential Readings, Encyclopedia of Police Science, and The Oxford Handbook on Police and Policing. Dr. Hickman is a member of the American Society of Criminology, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the International Association of Crime Analysts.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsSection I. The Demand for Forensic ServicesChapter 1. A Historical Review of the Demand for Forensic Evidence - Joseph L. PetersonIntroductionEstimating the Demand for Forensic EvidenceWhat Is Physical Evidence and What Can It Tell Us?Physical Evidence Presence--Historical IndicatorsMacro Forces Influencing Utilization PatternsCrime Laboratory Census ResultsUp-to-Date Utilization Patterns From the "Role and Impact" StudyConclusionReferencesChapter 2. Is There Evidence of a "CSI Effect"? - Rachel Dioso-VillaIntroductionCSI′s Depictions of Forensic ScienceCultivation TheoryTypology of CSI Effects Found in Media AccountsEvidence of the CSI EffectThe Perceived CSI EffectJuror Expectations and Their Understanding of Forensic ScienceWhat Can Be Done?ConclusionReferencesChapter 3. What We Know (and Don′t Know) About Evidence Backlogs - Matthew J. Hickman and Kevin J. StromIntroductionWhat Is a "Backlog"?What Are the Sources of Backlog?What Do We "Know" About the Nature and Scope of Forensic Backlog?The Problem of Artificial BacklogDo Backlogs Represent Justice Delayed and Justice Denied, or Simply Justice "Satisficed"?ReferencesSection II. The Quality of Forensic ServicesChapter 4. Adopting a Research Culture in the Forensic Sciences - Barry A. J. FisherIntroductionWhy a Research Culture Does Not Currently Exist in the Forensic SciencesRecent Developments in the Forensic SciencesFactors Affecting the Admissibility of Forensic ScienceContemporary Challenges Facing Forensic ScienceReferencesChapter 5. Minimizing Contextual Bias in Forensic Casework - Reinoud D. Stoel, Charles E. H. Berger, Wim Kerkhoff, Erwin J. A. T. Mattijssen, and Itiel E. DrorIntroductionHistorical BackgroundPsychological BackgroundLevels of Contextual InformationHow to Deal With Contextual InformationOutlook and ConclusionReferencesChapter 6. A Survey of Ethical Issues in the Forensic Sciences - Jay SiegelIntroductionDiscussion of Ethical IssuesToward a National Code of Ethics in Forensic ScienceSection III. The Utility of Forensic ServicesChapter 7. The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Criminal Justice: Evidence From Case-Processing Studies - Sally Kelty, Roberta Julian, and Robert HayesIntroductionThe Impact of Forensic Evidence (FE) on Solvability and Case-Processing Outcomes: Evidence From the LiteratureConceptual Framework and Case-Processing Model of Critical Decisions and Leakage Points in Homicide Cases: Findings From the Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System (EFS) ProjectConclusionCasesReferencesChapter 8. Assessing the Utility of DNA Evidence in Criminal Investigations - Michael D. White, Andrea R. Borrego, and David A. SchroederIntroductionEmpirical Evidence on the Utility of DNA Evidence in Criminal InvestigationsExplanatory Frameworks for Understanding Law Enforcement′s Use of DNA EvidenceConclusionReferencesChapter 9. Forensic Science: The Prosecutor′s Role - Nina W. ChernoffIntroductionThe Rules That Govern Prosecutors′ Use of Forensic EvidenceWhy the Rules Do Not Produce Prosecutors Who Are Honest About the Reliability of Forensic EvidenceThe Need for Accuracy AdvocatesConclusionNotesSection IV. Post-Conviction IssuesChapter 10. The Problems and Challenges of Evidence Retention - John M. Collins Jr.IntroductionPersonnelSafe and Secure FacilitiesInventory and DispositionForensic TestingJurisdictional Case ManagementConclusionReferencesChapter 11. Innovation, Success, Error, and Confidence in Forensic DNA Testing - Kristen SkogerboeIntroductionHistory of DNA and Its Application in Criminal JusticeThe Role of DNA in Highlighting Limitations in Other Forensic DisciplinesThe Intersection of Success, Innovation, and Risk of Error in DNA TestingThe Road to Testing and Exonerations: DNA From a Chemist′s PerspectiveInnovation, Challenges, and Emerging Issues in Forensic DNA TestingAchieving and Maintaining Confidence With a Research Mentality and Quality AssuranceReferencesSection V. The Future Role of Forensic Science in the Administration of JusticeChapter 12. Developing New Business Models for Forensic Laboratories - Max M. Houck and Paul J. SpeakerIntroductionEconomic FoundationsMetrics and MeasurementA Balanced ViewEfficiency and Cost-EffectivenessIdentifying the Best Business Models for Forensic LaboratoriesConclusionReferencesChapter 13. Rethinking the Role of the Crime Laboratory in Criminal Justice Decision Making - Kevin J. Strom and Matthew J. HickmanIntroductionThe Changing Role of the Crime LaboratoryLaboratory Decision MakingPromising Examples of Crime Laboratory Decision-Making PoliciesConclusionReferencesChapter 14. The Future of Forensic Science - Walter F. RoweIntroductionTechnological DevelopmentsAdministrative Changes in Forensic ScienceForensic Science EducationConclusionReferencesIndexAbout the EditorsAbout the Contributors