CODIS Hierarchy, cont.

The term "CODIS" is often misused by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and even practitioners of the forensic sciences when they intend to refer to a "DNA database."

The term "DNA database" is sometimes used without specific reference to the level, which may lead to misunderstandings. For example, some categories of profiles, such as arrestee or forensic, are allowed in a state's database but not in the national database.

The term "CODIS lab" is also misused in reference to a state laboratory that analyzes convicted offender samples. "CODIS lab" is a misnomer in this case, as CODIS also contains other profiles such as forensic profiles.

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