Criminal Procedure

Criminal Identification Procedure

Technology and its implications in the 21st century

In the late 20th and early 21st century criminal justice professionals have benefited from a rapid increase in the development of criminal identification tools . These technological advances are widely viewed as a positive step toward better protecting the public . Improvements in computers , software and the biological and psychological sciences have spurred progress in surveillance and identification techniques . The public now expects the assertive use of these technologies by those involved in criminal justice

There is , however , a contrary view

of the usage of new technologies Some of the advances may , in fact , be too good . They may cause an over-focus on certain individuals , or may encourage law enforcement to do more than what is necessary . In other cases , the technology casts a wide net . Many innocent persons may unknowingly lose their right to privacy during an investigation which may even involve them . In either case , the constitutional rights of people may be at risk . Every time those rights are violated the democracy erodes from within . Technologies of the future must be implemented in criminal justice with full accountability and provisions for ongoing analysis of their effects

New Technologies- Advantages , Disadvantages and Effects

DNA profiling is the most revolutionary criminal identification technique to come out of the late 20th century . Ironically , its greatest value in recent years is determining who did not commit crimes rather than who did . In both cases , its effectiveness continues to improve Three general types of profiling are used . Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP ) is the most discriminating type of testing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR ) testing offers more testing options Short Tandem Repeat (STR ) testing is the newest technique . This method allows researchers to more quickly analyze and compare multiple genetic markers

DNA identifications are only as good as the labs which conduct the analyses . As efficient as DNA identification can be , there are still potential areas that skilled defense attorneys can exploit Contamination , tampering and substitution are also considered , with some of these implying scientific fraud (O ' Connor , 2006 Interpretation of what the evidence actually does or does not mean can be time consuming and labor intensive

The costliness of DNA analysis is one disadvantage for both the criminal justice system and criminal defendants . For the system , the price tag and lack of accredited labs can create a backlog of cases . For that reason , gaining test results often takes weeks or months instead of days . Additionally , not all defendants have access to DNA testing because of the cost

DNA identification , facial recognition and other technologies have entered the public consciousness . Television dramas and true crime programs have helped to create elevated expectations among jury members Prosecutors may find it more difficult to gain convictions without scientific evidence pointing directly to the suspect

Biometric systems of identification have come to greater prominence since the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . These systems employ varied automated systems to identify unique physical and behavioral characteristics . The information gained...