ASSESSMENT OF THE PERSONNEL OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE PROFESSION

• NCJ Number: 37881
• Author(s): K S FIELD; O SCHROEDER; I J CURTIS; E L FABRICANT; B A LIPSKIN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 250 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-NI-99-0052
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Forensic Sciences Foundation Press
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART ASSESSMENT OF THE NUMBER, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE OF SCIENTIFIC AND RELATED PARAPROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL SERVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Abstract

THIS STUDY CONCENTRATED ON THE FOLLOWING DISCIPLINES OR ACTIVITIES: CRIMINALISTS AND CRIMINALISTICS LABORATORIES; CORONER/MEDICAL EXAMINER PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS (WITH EMPHASIS ON FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS); FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS; FORENSIC ODONTOLOGISTS; FORENSIC PSYCHIATRISTS; FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS; QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINERS; AND EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS. THE TARGET POPULATION WAS ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO, DURING THE PERIOD 1969-1974 HAD TESTIFIED IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AS AN EXPERT WITNESS IN ANY OF THE ABOVE FIELDS. A TOTAL OF 7007 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED, OF WHICH 1958 WERE COMPLETED AND RETURNED - A RESPONSE RATE OF 28 PERCENT. THIS REPORT PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF THE ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING GENERAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. SURVEY RESULTS ARE PRESENTED BY DISCIPLINES. A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE OR PROTOTYPE IS PROVIDED ALONG WITH DATA ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING, STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION, PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION, AND RESEARCH. AN EIGHT-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY DIVIDED ACCORDING TO DISCIPLINES IS INCLUDED ALONG WITH COPIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES AND OTHER TABULAR DATA.