Medical Examiner and Coroner Outsourcing Study – A Qualitative Study and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Date January 2022 Overview Medical examiners and coroners (MECs) are often at the center of highly stressful and emotional situations as a part of their daily job duties. Those events are compounded by continued and escalating high caseloads and inadequate…
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Federal Forensic Science Research and Development Programs – A 2021 Update

Date June 2021 Overview In response to the 2009 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, the federal government accelerated its investment in forensic science in recent years. The NAS report…
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Just a Guide to Sexual Assault Response Reform

Original Release Date: April 30, 2021 In episode three of our 2021 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Patricia Melton, co-director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance program, to…
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Perspectives on Addressing the Collection, Tracking, and Processing of Lawfully Owed DNA Samples

Date April 2021 Overview The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a powerful tool that supports the criminal justice system by generating investigative leads, identifying perpetrators, and linking cases together. DNA profiles obtained from convicted…
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Just Polysubstance Use and the Importance of Data Trends

Original Release Date: March 26, 2021 In episode ten of the 2021 Illicit Substance Use Response season, Just Science interviews Josh Yohannan, a forensic chemist and expert in emerging drug trends, about polysubstance use in the opioid overdose epidemic.  Polysubstance use dramatically increases the potential for overdose…