Building More Reliable Forensic Sciences (Part One)

The scientific basis of several aspects of forensic evidence was first called into question by the 2009 National Research Council report. That report had an immediate impact on law enforcement, crime labs, courtrooms, and the broader scientific community. 

David Stoney, Chief Scientist and head of Stoney Forensic in Chantilly, VA, and Greg Dutton, program manager and physical scientist with NIJ’s Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, join host Jim Dawson to discuss the concerted effort in many fields of forensics — ballistics, trace evidence, fingerprints, and more — to improve the science underlying forensic evidence in the wake of the 2009 report. Read the transcript.

Listen to Part Two of the conversation. 

Research and Resources from the National Institute of Justice:

• Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward (2009 NRC report)
• The Slow but Steady March Towards a More Reliable Forensic Science

Other Resources:

• The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC)