Annotated Bibliography

Flawed DNA Testing

“Advancing Justice through DNA Technology: Using DNA to Solve Crime.” The United States

Department of Justice, Web. 28 March 2018.

This is an archived content from the U.S. Department of Justice website on using DNA to solve crimes in the American Justice system. It briefly summarizes the history of DNA to find criminals and highlights ways in which the tool was used to link to DNA offender profiles through DNA databases like the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The system, in the late 1980s and early 1990s started to pass laws that needed offenders to provide DNA samples, and although all 50 states have passed the laws, the state DNA analysis still needs improvement.  The department of justice recognizes that DNA testing becomes problematic if people are convicted wrongfully because of it, and therefore lists some possible solutions to it. Some of them are getting rid of backlogs, properly handling ill-equipped labs, developing faster techniques for research and additionally train professionals.

This website is very informative and fits best as the background information of DNA testing in the country and as two body paragraphs when discussing the solutions to the problem in the later half of the essay. The information is objective because it describes how DNA testing has been used throughout the years in the Criminal system and how the government regulates database to help identify the perpetrators regardless of the issues that it faces. It is also a great source for its detailed analysis on understanding backlog which has two components: casework sample and convicted offender backlogs that overwhelm unanalyzed DNA samples and other solutions. This website will also help in presenting both positive and negative effects of DNA testing, especially when it comes to cases where people have served years behind bars for a crime they did not commit.

James, Nathan. “DNA Testing in Criminal Justice: Background, Current Law, Grants, and

Issues.” FAS. Congressional Research Service.  Web. 7th April 2018.

This is a Congressional Research Service report prepared for members and committees of Congress to address the issue of DNA Testing in Criminal Justice. Written by an analyst ib Crime Policy, Nathan James, it describes why DNA is a powerful tool for law enforcement investigations and how differently it is used today than the 1980s. Primarily, this document focuses heavily on federal law and Congress’ intakes on solving the problems with DNA analysis by authorizing grant programs to provide support for forensic sciences. With the rising database and problems in DNA backlog, the government is facing legislative issues and cannot provide access to post-conviction DNA testing, which is hurting hundreds of families in the country. Some of the main points the report centers on is the dilemma with the usage of DNA databases to conduct familial searches, sexual assault collection kits standardization and national accreditation standards for forensic laboratories.

The analysis is an important aspect of the entire essay. It can be used as background information, explaining the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and the importance of a keypoint (DNA backlog) as well as Post-Conviction DNA testing. This report is objective and credible due to it being an actual governmental research, extracted from the Congressional Research Service and written by an analyst in Crime Policy. It is also an excellent source in explaining some governmental policies to reduce problems associated with DNA, and how it has or will likely affect more families in the future if the problem is not sorted. Moreover, it presents many faults in the Criminal Justice System, which perfectly strengthens the thesis of the paper.

“Help Us Put an End to Wrongful Convictions!” Innocence Project, Innocence Project, Web. 7th

April 2018.

            This is the largest organization that works on exoneration cases of those wrongfully convicted through improper testings like DNA analysis and pushes the government to reform the criminal justice system. Overall, its mission is to free hundreds of people in jail and give them justice, by collaboratively working with the law through legal work and as well as give support to the exonerate as they begin to rebuild their lives. The website also provides overall information on the lives of those convicted and freed after further research, like of Clarence Harrison and Kennedy Brewer.

            This website is the main component of the entire essay because it will help with the main body paragraphs especially pertaining to using ethos, logos and pathos. Since the website provides real accounts and lives of those incarcerated, it will be a great way to include them when speaking of the negative effects of DNA. Compared to the other sources, this entire website is best used as an introduction to the reforms of DNA testing and giving a better insight of the issues in the criminal system. The goal will be best met if paragraphs are divided on different people incarcerated since all of them have unique stories and relate it back to the importance of the essay topic.

Seelye, Katharine Q., and Jess Bidgood. “Prison for a State Chemist Who Faked Drug

Evidence.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Nov. 2013.

Annie Dookhan, a state chemist arrested for proceeding drug samples received from suspects three times faster than her fellow colleagues. Her ambition to declare drug samples positive that were not tested at all, tampering with evidence, forging signatures and lying to the court, tained more than 40,000 drug samples. After her arrest in 2000, she pleaded guilty to 27 counts and was sentenced to three to five years in prison and two years’ probation. Dookhan’s plea affected many innocent lives. who were in jail for the crimes that they did not commit,  and proved that the Justice System is corrupt.

This article by the New York Times is informative and will help in developing the body paragraph that will focus on why it is essential to have a professional and reliable staff in the Criminal Justice System. The life of Annie Dookhan will also raise new questions and concerns within the system that are often overlooked. In addition, with the help of this article and another research on the chemist will determine how well the government is doing to help compensate those inflicted by this obstruction of justice.

Moreover, her actions will also be used in the conclusion to leave an everlasting impression of such an important topic.