Chapter 12 - DNA Databases

Abstract

This chapter discusses the DNA databases being used in the United States and throughout the world to stop violent criminals. An important role that DNA databases can serve is to make associations among groups of unsolved cases. The chapter defines database, databank, and population database. A number of countries around the world have started national DNA databases. The first national DNA database, and so far the most effective and aggressive in its application, was created in the United Kingdom in April 1995. The U.S. Congress authorized the FBI Laboratory to establish and oversee a U. S. national DNA database with the DNA Identification Act of 1994. The National DNA Index System (NDIS) manages nationwide information in a single repository maintained by the FBI Laboratory. Participating states submit their DNA profiles in order to have searches performed on a national level. The role of NDIS is to search casework and offender indices, manage candidate matches, and return results of matches to the local and/or state level. Public crime laboratories in the United States are connected via the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Wide Area Network (CJIS WAN). CJIS WAN provides Internet-like connectivity but without the security risk. Issues surrounding the use and potential expansion of DNA databases are also discussed in the chapter.