Forensic Sciences
From crime scene to courtroom, forensics plays a vital role in the criminal justice system. Forensic evidence has been crucial for the investigation and resolution of thousands of crimes, and its value is likely to increase in the coming years.
Forensic science includes:
- Identifying, collecting, and examining evidence from crime scenes.
- Analyzing evidence in the laboratory.
- Presenting findings in court.
Forensic science has greatly benefited from breakthroughs in broader areas of science and technology that make it possible for scientists to analyze evidence more quickly using ever smaller sample sizes that may be of poor quality.
The National Institute of Justice provides funding to:
- Develop tools and technologies.
- Better understand the impact of forensic science.
- Provide technology assistance to forensic laboratories.
- Enhance laboratory capabilities and capacity.
Tools and technologies. Demand exceeds capacity at most crime laboratories. NIJ develops innovative tools and technologies that will save time and money. These research and development projects provide:
- Faster, more reliable and widely applicable, less costly, and less labor-intensive tools for identifying, collecting, preserving, and analyzing crime scene evidence.
- Tools that provide more information about the source of evidence and circumstances surrounding the crime.
Understanding the impact of forensic science. NIJ has initiated several evaluations to assess the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system—for example, training of first responders, perceptions of jurors, case processing.
Technology assistance and training. Through the Forensic Resource Network and the Forensic Science Technology Center of Excellence, NIJ provides assistance with quality assurance, evaluation, and implementation of new technologies and developed several interactive trainings and field guidance documents.
Enhancing laboratories. NIJ provides funding to help laboratories streamline their operations, recruit qualified staff, and process more cases faster, with greater accuracy.