Publications for Officers and Investigators

Publications containing information on DNA technology and its applications in criminal justice systems.

DNA Projects Target Missing Persons Cases
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Institute of Justice, October 2006
On any given day, there are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the United States, and every year, tens of thousands of people vanish under suspicious circumstances. Missing persons and unidentified human remains (UHR) investigations-—particularly, if a case goes cold—present a tremendous challenge for financially strapped state and local law enforcement agencies.  The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is working to help local jurisdictions meet these challenges.

By Glenn R. Schmitt, Acting Director, National Institute of Justice. Reprinted from The CJIS Link (Vol. 9, No. 3, October 2006), the newsletter of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

Identifying Victims Using DNA: A Guide for Families
National Institute of Justice, NIJ 2005
This 8-page booklet gives an overview of the DNA analysis process so that surviving family and friends will understand what DNA analysis can and cannot do, describes the sources of DNA that forensic scientists might use, and explains the differences between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.

DNA in Minor Crimes Yields Major Benefits in Public Safety
National Institute of Justice, 2004
Property crime offenders have high recidivism rates, their crime and violence can escalate, and property crime cases often go unsolved. It has been estimated that each burglar in the top 10 percent of burglars commits more than 232 burglaries per year. Several police departments in the United States are finding that they may be able to change these trends. They are finding that biological evidence collected from property crime scenes can help solve other cases as well, prevent future property crimes, and prevent more serious offenses.

Report to the Attorney General on Delays in Forensic DNA Analysis
National Institute of Justice, 2003
Although crime laboratories have made enormous progress in reducing the number of unanalyzed convicted offender samples from DNA databases, they continue to be deluged with analysis requests. This report presents the results of a task force, convened by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) at the request of Attorney General John Ashcroft, to assess existing DNA analysis delays and develop recommendations for eliminating those delays. The report details six recommendations that will serve as the foundation of a comprehensive, national DNA backlog reduction strategy.

National Forensic DNA Study Report
Smith Alling Lane, P.S.; Division of Governmental Studies and Services, Washington State University, 2003, with funding from the National Institute of Justice
An NIJ-commissioned independent study to ascertain the size of and reasons for the Nation's backlog of DNA evidence.

The Application of DNA Technology in England and Wales
Smith Alling Lane, P.S.; Division of Governmental Studies and Services, Washington State University, 2003, with funding from the National Institute of Justice
England is widely recognized as having the most effective and efficient approach to the use of forensic DNA technology in the world. This NIJ commissioned independent study reviews the application of DNA technology in England and Wales.

Forensic Science Communications
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quarterly
A peer-reviewed forensic science journal published quarterly by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory personnel. It is a means of communication between forensic scientists and includes information on DNA-related topics.

The FBI's Combined DNA Index System Program: CODIS
Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2000
Gives background information on the FBI Laboratory's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables Federal, State, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.

2002 DNA Grantees' Workshop
National Institute of Justice, 2003
Includes the executive summary and research briefings from the 2002 Third Annual DNA Grantees' Workshop. Organizations receiving funding support for DNA laboratory improvement discuss how new technological innovations might be developed and adapted to meet the current and future needs of public crime laboratories.

Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases
National Institute of Justice, 2002
A practical resource for law enforcement personnel who review old, cold, or unsolved cases. The report provides legal and practical considerations for applying DNA technology to unsolved cases and delivers a step-by-step process to help investigators select cases that DNA evidence will most likely help solve.

The Future of Forensic DNA Testing: Predictions of the Research and Development Working Group
National Institute of Justice, 2000
This 2000 report, the work of the Research and Development Working Group of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, discusses projected 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year milestones for DNA technology.

Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests
National Institute of Justice, 1999
Developed by the Postconviction Issues Working Group of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, this publication offers recommendations for prosecutors, defense counsels, courts, and other relevant groups who receive requests for postconviction DNA testing on how to handle such requests.

Read the complete text of Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests on DNA.gov or download the document in Acrobat PDF or ASCII.

What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence (Brochure)
National Institute of Justice, 1999
A pocket-sized brochure that gives police officers practical information about identifying, preserving, and collecting DNA to help solve cases.

Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains: The Nation's Silent Mass Disaster
National Institute of Justice Journal 256, January 2007
If you ask most Americans about a mass disaster, they're likely to think of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, or the Southeast Asian tsunami. Very few people—including law enforcement officials—would think of the number of missing persons and unidentified human remains in our Nation as a crisis. It is, however, what experts call "a mass disaster over time."