Update on Path Forward Released

Strengthening Forensic Science: A Progress Report

February 2014

Science and technology are essential to the pursuit of justice and are critical to the appropriate collection, assessment, and application of evidence in the criminal justice system. To ensure that the best forensic science is brought to bear in the pursuit of justice, the Administration has from its earliest days supported a wide range of research and policy activities. This document highlights a number of accomplishments to date, focusing primarily on activities carried out by the Department of Justice and several of its components including the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); and the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as several multiagency efforts, including some in coordination with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and other White House offices.

Strengthening forensic science is a complicated challenge that will require considerably more work and a sustained commitment on the part of the Federal Government as well as the broader forensic science community. This document will be updated periodically to reflect the Administration’s continued progress in this area.

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