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DNA Advances in England

By Kent Scheidegger et al.

Forensic DNA is producing more results in England than in the U.S., reports Gautam Nak in the Wall Street Journal. Some of the reasons are controversial. One reason is that the database for England and Wales includes 8% of the population. (Scotland and Northern Ireland are in a separate database.) Everyone arrested, even for a minor offense, must give a sample, and the DNA profile stays in the database permanently. In the U.S., most jurisdictions test only convicted felons, although some states are moving to a broader requirement. The total database is about 2% of the population. Some in England want to broaden their database even further. "A senior appellate judge, as well as former prime minister Tony Blair, have called for the database to ultimately include DNA profiles of every U...continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime and Consequences on February 23, 2008 (boomark / email).