Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices U.S
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U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice REPORT TO CONGRESS Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh St. N.W. Washington, DC 20531 David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D. Director, National Institute of Justice This and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at: National Institute of Justice Strengthen Science • Advance Justice NIJ.ojp.gov Office of Justice Programs Building Solutions • Supporting Communities • Advancing Justice O J P.gov The National Institute of Justice is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ’s mission is to advance scientific research, development, and evaluation to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Opinions or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Photo Source: ©Mix3r/Shutterstock, Inc. National Institute of Justice | NIJ.ojp.gov Contents I. Executive Summary .......................................................................................1 II. Introduction.................................................................................................7 A. Guiding Legislation ..................................................................................................... 7 B. Background .................................................................................................................. 8 C. Methodology ................................................................................................................ 8 III. Personnel ................................................................................................. 11 A. Forensic Science Personnel Pipeline ......................................................................... 12 1. Education .................................................................................................................14 2. Nontraditional Academic Programs ......................................................................18 3. Internships/Experience ........................................................................................ 22 B. Workforce Landscape ............................................................................................... 23 C. Hiring ......................................................................................................................... 24 D. Training ...................................................................................................................... 26 E. Certifications .............................................................................................................. 33 F. Health and Wellness ................................................................................................... 34 IV. Workload ...................................................................................................37 A. Workload Landscape ................................................................................................. 38 B. Systems-Based Approaches to Addressing Workload Challenges ........................... 44 C. Workforce .................................................................................................................. 52 D. Investigative Leads ..................................................................................................... 54 V. Infrastructure and Equipment ................................................................... 57 A. Infrastructure ............................................................................................................. 58 Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices i National Institute of Justice | NIJ.ojp.gov B. Equipment .................................................................................................................. 59 C. Information Technology ........................................................................................... 62 VI. Accreditation and Quality Management ...................................................65 VII. Medical Examiners and Coroners ...........................................................69 VIII. Special Topics ........................................................................................85 A. Opioid Crisis and Emerging Drug Threats .............................................................. 85 1. Increases in Workload and Costs to Forensic Laboratories ................................ 88 2. Equipment and Reference Materials .................................................................... 89 3. Public Safety and Public Health Information Sharing ........................................ 93 4. The Potential Impact of the Legalization and Decriminalization of Marijuana on State and Local Crime Laboratories ........................................ 95 B. Digital and Multimedia Evidence.............................................................................. 97 1. Quality Assurance and Accreditation ..................................................................107 2. Certification ........................................................................................................ 108 C. Sexual Assault Casework ......................................................................................... 109 1. Evidence Beyond DNA in Sexual Assault Cases ..................................................116 D. Forensics for Tribal Communities............................................................................118 1. The Department of Justice’s Work With Federally Recognized Tribes ............................................................................. 120 2. Landscape of Service Provision to Tribal Communities ................................... 122 E. Human Factors ......................................................................................................... 128 F. Mass Disaster and Critical Incident Preparedness and Response ......................... 129 IX. Research and Development .................................................................... 135 X. Conclusions .............................................................................................. 139 XI. Acknowledgments ................................................................................... 141 XII. References ............................................................................................ 143 XIII. Appendices and Resources .................................................................. 175 A. Review of the National Academy of Sciences Report and Prior Needs Assessments ...................................................................................175 B. Expanded Methodology for the Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories .......................................................... 180 C. Forensic Science Academic Degree Programs in the U.S. .....................................181 ii National Institute of Justice | NIJ.ojp.gov I. Executive Summary The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 (JFARA) mandated a needs assessment of forensic laboratories, which included an examination of workload, backlog,1 personnel, and equipment needs for both public crime laboratories and medical examiner and coroner (ME/C) offices. In conducting this needs assessment, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made efforts to integrate literature, stakeholder comments, and feedback from listening sessions in an extensive examination of the forensic science components currently operating in the United States. This community has seen many advances and promising practices in the past decade, some of which are featured in this report. One of the Department’s priorities for the forensic sciences is facilitating coordination and collaboration on forensic science within the Department, across the federal government, and with state, local, and tribal entities. In conducting this needs assessment, the Department identified the importance of strengthening these types of efforts through the increased use and institutionalization of systems-based approaches. A systems-based approach involves coordination and collaboration among forensic laboratories, ME/C offices, law enforcement, legal professionals, and other stakeholders, from the crime scene to the courtroom. Using a systems-based approach as an organizing and unifying theme, this report touches upon the forensic science system as a whole, from the education and training required for current and future personnel, to workload and infrastructure needs, to the process of bringing a case to trial from both the defense and prosecution perspectives. Further, this needs assessment compiles demonstrative evidence of how the field adapts to advancements in technology, changes in the volume and types of forensic evidence, and the evolving needs of the justice system, with particular focus on sexual assault evidence backlogs and the opioid crisis. Forensic laboratories and ME/C offices are constantly