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Causes of Backlog
Laboratory Backlog4
A backlog in a crime laboratory typically refers to evidence that has been received and is awaiting analysis.5 Evidence in a case, once received at the laboratory, goes through a prioritization process to determine the order in which the evidence is analyzed. Factors affecting the priority assigned to evidence include:
- Court date
- Serial crimes
- Violent crimes
- High-profile crimes
- Political issues
- Limited manpower
4 Matthew J. Hickman and Joseph L. Peterson, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories 50 Largest Crime Labs, Bureau of Justice Statistics Fact Sheet (2004) PDF download: 484kB
5 Federal Reviews and Audits:
United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory's Forensic DNA Case Backlog (2010) PDF download: 996kB • Visit the United States Department of Justice
Additional Online Courses
- What Every First Responding Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Collecting DNA Evidence at Property Crime Scenes
- DNA – A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook
- Crime Scene and DNA Basics
- Laboratory Safety Programs
- DNA Amplification
- Population Genetics and Statistics
- Non-STR DNA Markers: SNPs, Y-STRs, LCN and mtDNA
- Firearms Examiner Training
- Forensic DNA Education for Law Enforcement Decisionmakers
- What Every Investigator and Evidence Technician Should Know About DNA Evidence
- Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court
- Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert
- Laboratory Orientation and Testing of Body Fluids and Tissues
- DNA Extraction and Quantitation
- STR Data Analysis and Interpretation
- Communication Skills, Report Writing, and Courtroom Testimony
- Español for Law Enforcement
- Amplified DNA Product Separation for Forensic Analysts