Date
November 2016
Overview
State commissions focus on communication and collaboration among laboratories and stakeholders, allocation of resources, laboratory improvements, promulgation of accreditation and certification standards, investigations into misconduct or professional negligence in crime laboratories, and other implementation and oversight issues.
State forensic science commissions may contribute to forensic improvement through oversight and coordination of forensic science resources. This report provides a review for states wishing to create and maintain a state forensic science commission. Recognizing the substantial differences that exist among the states regarding governance, culture, statutes and crime laboratory systems, this report provides an overview of considerations in planning for and developing a state-level forensic science commission.
Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence report was provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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