NIJ Journal Issue No. 272

• NCJ Number: 241924
• Journal: National Institute of Justice Journal Issue: 272 Dated: September 2013 Pages: 1-56
• Date Published: September 2013
• Length: 56 pages
• Publication Series: NIJ Journal
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Issue Overview

Annotation

Feature articles address results and recommendations of the New Orleans Sexual Assault Evidence Project; the forensic fields covered in NIJ's innovative research; the collateral consequences beyond sentencing; a cost-benefit analysis of criminal justice reforms; evaluating sexual assault nurse examiner programs (SANEs); and lessons learned from a criminal justice research partnership in Los Angeles.

Abstract

NIJ funded the New Orleans Police Department's (NOPD's) DNA testing on 830 sexual assault kits (SAKs) that were in NOPD custody when the project began. As a result, there were hits against the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) that assisted police investigations in 13 percent of the cases. Based on these results, recommendations are offered. The article on NIJ's support of innovative forensic research projects gives special attention to the analysis of carpet fibers and improving how laboratories help solve cases. NIJ is continuing to invest in both basic and applied research in forensic science. The article on the collateral consequences of criminal justice processing beyond sentencing includes denial of employment or occupational licensing, as well as benefits such as education, housing, public benefits, and property rights. These and other collateral consequences of a criminal justice conviction are documented and explained in the National Inventory of the Collateral Consequences of Conviction. Another article identifies and discusses important considerations when analyzing the costs and benefits of crime interventions. Another article describes a SANE toolkit that streamlines evaluation steps into an easy-to-follow process for busy practitioners. The concluding article discusses lessons learned from a partnership of academic researchers and criminal justice practitioners in Los Angeles, which examined the processing and prosecutorial outcomes of sexual assault cases. This issue also summarizes recent publications of NIJ-funded projects and reports on what is new on NIJ.gov.