Evaluation of the Policies and Practices for the Utilization of DNA Technology Within the Military Criminal Investigative Organizations
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing was first used in a criminal investigation in the mid 1980s. Since that time it has become one of the most high profile investigative tools available and one that is highly effective. DNA testing has helped investigators identify perpetrators of violent crimes and the remains of missing persons or victims of mass disasters, as well as exonerate the innocent. In DoD, the Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs)1 are responsible for investigating major crimes within their respective areas of responsibility. MCIO investigative policies and procedures include the processing of crime scenes. The use of DNA analysis of evidence as an investigative tool by the MCIOs has grown considerably in recent years because improved technology has rendered more accurate results. Further, DNA evidence is being used more frequently to convict perpetrators and exonerate suspects. Currently, within the DoD, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL) is the only military forensic laboratory capable of DNA analysis. On December 19, 2000, Congress passed the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 (PL 106-546). The Act authorized Federal assistance to States to enable them to clear their backlogs of DNA samples collected from convicted offenders and crime scenes, provided the resulting DNA profiles are entered into the Combined DNA Index System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). For DoD, this Act added the requirement to collect, analyze, and index DNA samples from persons convicted of certain offenses under military law. On May 16, 2001, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R)) issued a memorandum to the Services establishing policy for implementing the Act. The memorandum requires USACIL to analyze all DNA samples collected from Armed Forces members convicted of certaimilitary offenses, and to send the results to the FBI for inclusion in the Na
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 17, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA402052
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense