Two Reports: How to Strengthen Forensic Science Services and Dyes at the Molecular Level Help ID Fibers

Through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has made available the following final technical reports, which are the result of NIJ-funded projects but were not published by the U.S. Department of Justice:

Strengthening Forensic Science Services through the DNA Capacity Enhancement & Backlog Reduction Program and Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants. This report summarizes comments and opinions from a 2014 meeting of crime laboratory directors on how to strengthen the backlog reduction and Coverdell programs. Attending the meeting were 25 laboratory directors representing 13 states, three counties, seven cities, one region and the District of Columbia, all of which received both DNA and Coverdell grants. The group's information and feedback will be used to develop strategies to strengthen the DNA and Coverdell programs and to promote the effective use and timely expenditures of grant funds. To read the report, go to https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248540.pdf.

Validation of Forensic Characterization and Chemical Identification of Dyes Extracted from Millimeter-length Fibers. The objective of this research was to validate analytical methods for the forensic chemical characterization of dyes extracted from trace evidence fibers, thereby enhancing discrimination for comparison of known and questioned casework fibers. This study focused on determining the optimum extraction conditions for each dye class and developing chromatographic methods with suitable resolution and sensitivity for trace analysis. To read the report, go to https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248579.pdf.