Promoting Forensic Science Reform

Following the 2009 National Academies’ report Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward on the many scientific deficiencies in forensic science disciplines, the ASA has been active in urging forensic science reform. The following activities are informed by the Advisory Committee on Forensic Science:

ASA Board Policy Statement on Forensic Science Reform

ASA Issues Guidance on Statistical Statements for Forensic Evidence

Comments to the Department of Justice in response to its spring 2017 call for comments regarding forensic science

In response to a NIST request for information and under the leadership of the ASA Forensic Science Advisory Committee, the ASA provided comments to improve OSAC and its operations.

Letters to members of Congress about forensic science reform (search “forensic science”)

Meetings on Capitol Hill and with key government agencies

American Chemical Society and ASA congressional briefing, Forensics: Science Policies to Increase Confidence

Scientific Rigor for the Courtroom

Sessions on forensic science at the Joint Statistical Meetings and other meetings (contact authors before quoting from their presentations) ​

2011 JSM Presentations

• Shooting Blanks: The Experiments Justifying Firearm/Toolmarks (PDF download)
• The NAS Recommendations for Evaluation of the Forensic Disciplines (PDF download)

2012 JSM Presentations

• Incorporating Uncertainty into Likelihood Ratios for DNA Evidence (PDF download)
• An Overview of the Current Use of Uncertainty Statements in Court and the ASA Efforts to Help Reform Forensic Science (PDF download)
• Adventures in Forensic DNA: Cold Hits, Familial Searches, and Mixtures (PDF download)

2013 AAAS Annual Conference

• Critical Role of Statistics in Development and Validation of Forensic Methods (PDF download)

2013 JSM Presentations

• A Metric for Assessing Quality of Latent Prints as Forensic Evidence
• On Desiderata for Score-Based Likelihood Ratios for Forensic Evidence

2016 Session: Strengthening the Science in Forensic Science

• Statistical Issues and Reliability of Eyewitness Identification as a Forensic Tool, Karen Kafadar
• Biased by Design: How Poorly Designed Experiments And Surveys Create And Contribute To Urban Legends, Cliff Spiegelman
• Discussion of Strengthening the Science in Forensic Science, Hal Stern
• The Same Smoking Gun? Approaches and Implementation, Munir Winkel, NCSU

ASA Community Blog Entries

• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Advances Forensic Science Bill with Bipartisan Support
• NIST Issues Call for Applications to Organization of Scientific Area Committees; Part of Forensic Science Reform
• Senator Leahy Introduces Forensic Science Reform Bill
• ASA President Sends Letters to Senate Committee Chairmen on Forensic Science Reform
• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Holds Second Hearing on Forensic Science
• Senate Science Committee Chair Introduces Bill to Advance Forensic Science Reform

Invited Amstat News Columns

• Weak Forensic Science Has High Cost
• Putting the Science in Forensic Science

The ASA is involved in forensic science reform because of ASA members who have served on National Academies’ (or NIST) forensic science panels:

• 2004, Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Evidence, Karen Kafadar and Clifford Spiegelman
• 2008, Ballistic Imaging, John E. Rolph (Chair), Alicia Carriquiry, David L. Donoho, William F. Eddy, Vijay Nair, Daryl Pregibon
• 2009, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, Constantine Gatsonis (co-Chair) and Karen Kafadar
• 2011, Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters, Karen Kafadar
• 2012, Latent Print Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice through a Systems Approach (NIST), Hal Stern (PDF download)