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Welcome to the Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy The Mission of the AJS Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy is devoted to improving the administration of justice through the application of cross-disciplinary research and education.
A New Way to Show Lineup Photos? Fact or fiction: is it more accurate to identify a suspect through a photo lineup or by looking at each photo individually? Posted 6/11/2009 To learn more, click here.Wrongful Conviction Bills Die Texas legislators increased compensation for innocent residents who spend years behind bars, but passed none of the reforms intended to avoid future wrongful convictions as the session melted away Monday. Posted 6/1/2009 Click here for the full article.Reality show on DNA exoneration stirs ethics issues For the first time, reality TV will explore the growing use of DNA evidence to exonerate the wrongly convicted, in a series that is raising ethical questions before its first episode airs this month. Posted 4/12/2009 Click here to view the article on www.usatoday.comSunGard Public Sector's Remote Lineup Featured on 60 Minutes Module of its OSSI Public Safety Suite Used in Study of the Reliability of Photographic Lineup Methodologies. Posted 3/23/2009 Click here to learn more.DNA evidence casts doubt on 1984 rape conviction Doubt has been raised about a conviction in a series of rapes and other attacks against women in Richmond and Henrico County a quarter-century ago. Recent testing in the Virginia Department of Forensic Science's groundbreaking post-conviction DNA project failed to find the genetic profile of Thomas E. Haynesworth, 43, in semen preserved from a Jan. 3, 1984, rape in Richmond. Posted 3/19/2009 To view this article, on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website, click here.The Perils of Eyewitness Identification: A Personal Account A considerable body of research shows that eyewitness identifications of a criminal defendant – the gold standard in courtroom theatrics – are, in reality, quite unreliable. The courtroom setting itself offers a very strong "suggestion" to witnesses about who the perpetrator might be – the man (or woman) sitting with his (or her) lawyer at the defendant's table. More importantly, the identifications that happen prior to trial, when witnesses look at live lineups or at pictures from "mug books," can also be quite suggestive, in ways that might not be immediately obvious. Posted 3/18/2009 To view this article, click here.Have the Eyes Had It? Describe the last person who served you a coffee. What if I helped refresh your memory? Showed you some photos of local baristas? Pulled together a helpful lineup? Cheered exuberantly when you picked the "right" one? Now imagine that instead of identifying the person who made your venti latte last week, we had just worked together to nail a robber or a rapist. Imagine how good we would feel. Now imagine what would happen if we were wrong. Posted 3/17/2009 To view this article, click here.60 Minutes Reports on Eyewitness Identification Reform The CBS News show, 60 Minutes aired a two-segment report on Eyewitness Identification Reform on Sunday, March 8, 2009, at 7pm EST. The report included interviews on Dr. Gary L. Wells, Director of Social Sciences for the AJS Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy, and Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, Member of the AJS Commission on Forensic Science and Public Policy. The 60 Minutes segments focuses on the problems with misidentification of suspects and potential reforms, which are currently being studied by AJS and other organizations in the national Eyewitness Identification Field Studies. In addition to the program, the 60 Minutes website provides an exclusive one-on-one interview with Dr. Elizabeth Loftus discussing false memory research. Posted 3/8/2009 Click here to visit the CBS website.Report Finds U.S. Forensic Science System is Flawed A congressionally mandated report released by the National Academy of Science finds serious deficiencies in the nation’s forensic science system. The report advises the federal government to establish a National Institute of Forensic Science to implement forensic science standards for professionals. Posted 2/27/2009 Click here to learn more. |
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