WHAT'S HOLDING BACK REFORM?
Given the recent outrages, one would expect a public outcry about the state of US crime labs, but it hasn’t happened. One big reason: municipalities and law-enforcement agencies have an incentive to maintain the status quo, since an overhaul of the system would put past convictions in jeopardy.
US labs have an incentive to keep quiet, too. In many areas, they receive money for every conviction to which they contribute.
LACK OF OVERSIGHT
The other main factor stalling change is that no national authority oversees US crime labs. Depending on a facility’s location, it could be run by the state, a local agency, or a private company. What’s more, no national laws or regulations for labs exist.
The closest thing to supervision is provided by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/ Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), a nonprofit group that provides accreditation to most of the crime labs in the US. A lab must put in significant work to meet ASCLD/LAB standards; the process can take a year or more and requires an intensive on-site visit.
After being accredited, a lab undergoes annual inspections. “We have very strong criteria,” says executive director John Neuner. But many of the scandals took place in accredited labs, revealing that the organisation’s scrutiny has its limits. “We can’t prevent wrongdoing by corrupt individuals,” Neuner says.
HOPE FOR CHANGE
One effort under consideration could transform US crime labs. In March 2014, US Senators Patrick Leahy and John Cornyn introduced legislation calling for the creation of an office of forensic science, providing national accreditation and a committee of top scientists to determine best practices, that would require labs to hire people with specific credentials in order to receive federal funds.
“This bill will allow us to improve the efficiency of our labs and reduce wrongful convictions,” Cornyn said.
While its bipartisan backing is promising, passage won’t be easy. Starting a new agency requires millions of dollars and Congress’s approval, both of which are scarce commodities in Washington.