U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Multimedia Listing

Reentry Discussion: Overcoming Challenges When Leaving Incarceration

August 2019

Alix McLearen, Ph.D., acting assistant director, Reentry Services Division, Federal Bureau of Prisons and John Wetzel, secretary of corrections, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections discuss programs and services that their agencies offer to help individuals overcome the challenges encountered when leaving incarceration. These various programs and services address the individuals’ needs in areas such as physical and mental health, addiction, education, vocation, and life skills. 

Evaluating Reentry Programs Using Data and Science

August 2019

How do you use data and science to measure program success?
John Wetzel, secretary of corrections, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Grant Duwe, Ph.D., director of research and evaluation, Minnesota Department of Corrections explain how their agencies evaluate programs using data and science. Duwe details how the most effective programs provided by the Minnesota DOC have been those that focus on known risk factors for recidivism. 

Probabilistic Genotyping Summation and Special Topics

July 2019

Throughout the Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results virtual workshop series, we have reviewed aspects of DNA mixture interpretation and have seen that probabilistic genotyping (PG) software can serve as a tool to assist the DNA Examiner in identifying possible genotype sets within a mixture and then calculating a likelihood ratio (LR). Approaches to modeling were shared by the developers of different PG software programs, followed by examples of internal validation studies and results.

Sex Offender Residency Restrictions: Implementation and Impact

July 2019

Numerous states and hundreds of municipalities have laws restricting the location of a convicted sex offender's residence. Little is known about the effectiveness of these restrictions. Do they keep children safer or give a false sense of safety? Some people suggest these laws are driven by media attention to a few cases. Others believe they are not grounded in research.

Uncertainty and Limitations of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems

June 2019

Has a person of interest contributed DNA to a mixture obtained from evidence? Is that DNA associated with a crime? Both are questions that cannot be answered with absolute certainty. This module of the Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results workshop series addresses the uncertainty and limitations of probabilistic genotyping systems that are used to calculate likelihood ratios and infer genotype sets from DNA typing results.

Probabilistic Genotyping in Court

June 2019

Biological modeling, statistical theory, and the computer processing of probabilistic genotyping systems are based on long- standing principles, yet their usage in U.S. courts has been limited to the past few years. This module of the Probabilistic Genotyping of Evidentiary DNA Typing Results web series addresses topics relevant to the admissibility of probabilistic genotyping results and the presentation of results in criminal proceedings. Various decisions related to probabilistic genotyping will be summarized from a legal perspective.

Representation of Statistical Weight to Stakeholders and the Court

June 2019

Historically, the predominant means of assigning statistical weight to many DNA mixtures in the U.S. has been the combined probability of inclusion, or CPI. Accordingly, many forensic DNA analysts, as well as attorneys and judges, are well-versed in the CPI as a match probability. In the fifth module of this workshop series devoted to probabilistic genotyping, the presenters will help DNA analysts and legal professionals understand degrees of statistical weight and properly communicate likelihood ratios and their meaning.