Forensic Programs Research Articles

Public health. Building microbial forensics as a response to bioterrorism.

Combating bioterrorism is a challenge to all of us. To be proactive, the U.S. Government has formalized the discipline of "microbial forensics" to deter and attribute perpetrators of such acts. This Policy Forum describes the foundations of the microbial forensics program: the creation of a national bioforensics laboratory, a partnership laboratory network, and a peer-consensus scientific working group and the promulgation of quality assurance guidelines.

Implementation of a Rule of Law Forensic Assistance Program for the Palestinian Civil Police - Achieving the Possible

Implementation of a Rule of Law Forensic Assistance Program for the Palestinian Civil Police - Achieving the Possible

Internship Training Opportunities in Correctional Psychology

Seventy-nine training directors of internship programs based in prisons, jails, and selected forensic settings received surveys concerning several aspects of their programs. Fifty-three responded for a return rate of 67%. Whereas these programs are seen to exist on a continuum with few sharp lines of distinction between them, there are enough differences to warrant applying the term correctional psychology internship specifically to those programs offering training experiences primarily in general population prison/jail settings. Different training emphases and staffing patterns were among factors distinguishing corrections-based internships from their more traditionally forensic counterparts. Both forensic and prison programs offer a wide variety of training experiences and continue to enjoy administrative support.

Forensic Fieldwork: Experience Is the Best Teacher

This is the fifth and final article in a series on computer forensics considering five aspects of a computer forensics program: building a forensic laboratory, tools, training, methodologies, and conducting forensic work.

Forensic Methodologies: A Computer Forensic Professional's Compass!

Documenting and formalizing your forensics program will not only provide structure and consistency, but it will also keep you out of trouble. This is the fourth article in a five-part series on computer forensics considering five aspects of a computer forensics program: building a forensics laboratory, tools, training, methodologies, and conducting forensic work.

Learning the Computer Forensic Way

The last article was part of the series on building a computer forensics program by identifying what tools a computer forensic professional might use. Of course, having the best tools does not guarantee success or even equate to proficiency. To get to that point, a computer forensics professional needs to have good tools and proper training on how to maximize their use.

Building a Computer Forensics Laboratory

This is the first article in a five-part series on computer forensics considering five aspects of a computer forensics program. This series will include: “Building A Forensic Laboratory,” “Creating Your Forensic Tool Box,” “Training Your Forensics Team,” “Understanding Forensics Methodology,” and “Conducting Forensic Investigations.”

The development of interactive World Wide Web based teaching material in Forensic Science

As part of the continuing development of the forensic science teaching programme offered at the Forensic Science Unit a World Wide Web based tutorial has been developed. This package has been successfully used in the teaching of M.Sc. students. The paper describes the training package and the student response to using the package.

Afa History: Some Bibliographical Suggestions

There is an old dictum: Although the past never changes, historical writing about the past does change. New histories are written as new facts are uncovered and as new interpretations are made. The essays in this special issue of the journal do an excellent job of tracing the history of the first fifty years of the AFA, but new histories will be written, not only about the next fifty years but also about the first fifty. No history is ever final. Future historians, of course, should begin building their bibliographies by utilizing the references in the preceding essays. The new histories will use many of the same sources, many of which unfortunately are now widely scattered in various locations and some of which are not easily located. This brief essay is not a definitive bibliographical study. Its more modest purposes are (1) to provide future historians with some hints about where to locate materials and (2) to encourage the AFA to continue its recent efforts to collect materials and deposit them in a well-maintained historical archives. Our hints are based partly on personal experience and partly on conversations with several people who have been active in AFA, especially the following: Austin Freeley, a founder and the second president of the organization; Annabel Hagood, a former president and one who played a key role in the assumption of the NDT by AFA; George Ziegelmueller, a former president and another key player in the assumption of the NDT; Malcolm Sillars, a founder of the association and a leading figure in developing the Alta conferences; Karla K. Leeper, the current President of AFA; and James Pratt, a former president and current Executive Secretary of the organization. Pratt has done a superb job of maintaining records since becoming Executive Secretary after the new constitution called for the creation of such an office. Pratt has also collected many of the earlier records, but when the AFA creates its much-needed archives, the AFA should continue his efforts to collect old records. Historical materials can be divided conveniently into (1) unpublished written documents, (2) oral histories, and (3) published materials. The first type, unpublished materials, are in special danger of being lost with the passage of time. The private letters of AFA officers and committee chairs probably contain a considerable amount of relevant information about AFA history. To our knowledge, the only formal collection of private documents is the Glenn E. Capp Papers, located at Baylor University, where the legendary Capp directed one of the nation's leading forensic programs for many years. We need to seek out more such items and deposit them in the hoped-for archives. Another set of unpublished materials is the collection of NDT ballots located in the archives of the University of Massachusetts library in Amherst. Unfortunately, the collection is not complete and needs upgrading, but it is fairly exhaustive. The ballots can be used for a variety of purposes, such as the changes and continuities in judging standards and the topics that were debated. Still another source of historical data is the unpublished convention paper. Several convention papers, such as Freeley's Present at the Creation: the 1950s, which was presented at the 1989 SCA-AFA convention is only one of several papers delivered at the fortieth anniversary of AFA. Moreover, other papers were given at other conventions. The AFA's future historian/archivist needs to check convention programs to find additional references, locate authors, and obtain copies of relevant papers. The AFA has made significant strides in the area of oral history. Video-tape recordings have been made of interviews with past presidents of AFA, and the collection is now located at Baylor University. Because the project was in progress almost simultaneously with the preparation of this special issue of the journal, the video tapes could not be used extensively by the authors of the preceding articles, but the tapes will be an important source for future scholars. …

An outpatient psychiatry program for offenders with mental disorders found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Rehospitalization and criminal recidivism were examined among a group of offenders with mental disorders adjudicated as not guilty by reason of insanity and mandated to receive treatment in a forensic psychiatric outpatient program as a condition of release. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 43 offenders with mental disorders who were acquitted as being not guilty by reason of insanity for the index offense and were active in the outpatient treatment program in 1996. Data were abstracted on sociodemographic, psychiatric, and criminal characteristics predating the index offense; rehospitalizations and new crimes and rearrests after the offense; and clinical and psychosocial functional outcomes after enrollment in the outpatient program. For the 43 patients, the mean length of stay in the program was 68 months, with a range of 4.9 months to 18.4 years. Almost two-thirds of the patients were diagnosed as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or a nonaffective psychotic disorder; 58 percent had a comorbid substance use disorder, and 63 percent had an axis II diagnosis. Since program enrollment, 20 patients (47 percent) were rehospitalized at least once, and eight (19 percent) were rearrested or had committed a new crime. At the end of 1996, only nine (24 percent) were in full remission, and 26 (68 percent) showed at least one indicator of difficulty reintegrating into the community. Even after treatment in a specialized forensic program, this sample of offenders with serious mental disorders remained impaired symptomatically and functionally. Although avoidance of rehospitalization is considered a successful outcome, rehospitalization is preferable to rearrest for this forensic population.

Comparison of quality of medical documentation for findings related to sexual assault prior and post the development of a sexual assault forensic examination program

Comparison of quality of medical documentation for findings related to sexual assault prior and post the development of a sexual assault forensic examination program

Cost savings associated with fitness-to-stand-trial assessments in detention centres: a pilot program.

To determine whether fitness-to-stand-trial assessments "in detention" offer cost benefit over inpatient assessments. The development of a pilot "fitness clinic" in a detention centre is described, and the results of 1 year of assessments are presented. The cost benefit of fitness assessments conducted in detention centres is outlined. Significant cost savings were realized by operating fitness clinics in detention centres. Fitness clinics in detention centres offer important benefits and are recommended as an adjunct to forensic programs.

Gerald R. Miller: A personal remembrance

In the summer of 1956, I enrolled in my first graduate courses in the Speech Department of the University of Iowa. This department included rhetoric, public address, theatre, and broadcasting, and was under the direction of H. Clay Harshbarger, an impressive fellow who specialized in broadcasting. Dr. Harshbarger had recently succeeded the legendary E. C. Mabie, who had emphasized professional theatre to the perceived detriment of the other areas then called Speech, and who had a reputation as a real tyrant.(1) The broadcasters and the rhetoricians in the Speech department were full of optimism about the new Harshbarger regime and were hoping for equity at last. Even though I had been a drama major I felt a move to Speech was indicated for me, in that I had no future as a professional actor, and the night work in educational theatre was daunting. So I took a course in Directing the Forensics Program taught by Carl Dallinger, together with an introductory course in directing for television, taught by Harshbarger himself. Both courses were less than challenging, in that I had already a good deal of experience in high school forensics activities and had worked in television since the first stations opened in Sioux City. To put it mildly, I was bored. I could tell that my boredom was shared by only one fellow student, another iconoclast named Gerald Miller. Miller and I had similar backgrounds: we had both grown up in straitened circumstances in depressed river towns, we had both served in the army in Korea (he in a supply depot and me in a POW camp), and we both had families. What really set us apart in the directing forensics course was our shared attitudes about high school forensics. Gerald and I had both come to the conclusion that the system only rewarded winners, and our personal philosophy was that one should win at all costs, since the system gives you little support for developing character. We made the profound mistake of admitting this in class discussions, and together with our inbred skepticism for the student-centered pedagogy so popular at the time ensured that he and I soon became outlaws. We constantly disagreed with the instructor and just about everyone else, and class sessions often became acrimonious sessions in which Gerald and I took on the establishment. We took to hanging out between classes at the local pool hall and played the odd game of eight-ball or instead of discussing serious issues such as the relative contributions of original oratory or extemporaneous speaking. We discovered that we had both been forced to attend Iowa because of our low undergraduate grade point average (they had to take us since we were Iowa residents). We had both applied to Northwestern's prestigious School of Speech and had been unceremoniously rejected. One day we had started a game of rotation without regard for the time and discovered that we had only ten minutes to get to class. Miller calmly ran the table (for those of you not familiar with pool, this means making every ball in succession--fifteen straight perfect shots). I was amazed. He had never exhibited such skill in previous games between classes, and I discovered that he had been playing at my level so that we could enjoy ourselves. In actuality, he had been the Big Ten billiard champion the year before he was drafted. Pool was not the only place he excelled. He was an outstanding softball pitcher--next to impossible to catch, in that his fastball always rose and if you weren't careful, would hit you in the chest or other sensitive places. No one I knew could hit his pitching. His really impressive skill was with cards, specifically poker. He had brought home enough money from Korea to finance a year of school! The only thing I could beat him in was chess, and naturally we didn't play that very often! The summer ended and I got an A by some miracle, and Miller got a B. It was the only time I got a better grade than he did. …

A meta‐analysis of the impact of forensics and communication education on critical thinking

This meta‐analysis considers the impact of various methods of improving public communication skills on critical thinking. The results indicate that communication instruction improves the critical thinking ability of the participants (longitudinal designs r= .18, cross‐sectional designs r= .20). Forensic participation demonstrated the largest positive impact on critical thinking improvement, but all communication skill experiences demonstrated significant improvement. The cumulative evidence indicates that communication skill instruction generates, using the Binomial Effect Size Display (BESD), a 44% increase in critical thinking ability. These results provide important evidence to support the maintenance of forensics programs in an era of increased educational accountability, downsizing, and budgetary cutbacks.

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi’nde Aktif Eğitim ve Adli Tıp

Geleceğin hekimlerinin yetiştirilmesinde uzmanlık ve disiplin ağırlıklı eğitimin yeterli olmadığının gözlenmesi, yeni eğitim modellerinin geliştirilmesine neden olmuştur. Bu yöntemlerden biri de aktif eğitimdir. Yoğun bir hazırlık döneminden sonra Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, 1997-1998 eğitim yılında, probleme dayalı öğrenim oturumları çevresinde şekillenen "Aktif Eğitim" yöntemini uygulamaya başlamıştır. Tıp eğitimi için ideal bir eğitim programının varlığından söz etmek zordur. Buna karşın probleme dayalı öğrenim yöntemine uygun bir programın geleceğin hekimlerini yetiştirmede atılmış önemli bir adım olduğu kanısındayız. Probleme dayalı öğrenim yönteminde, öğrenci multidisipliner bilgiyi gerçek hayatta karşılarına çıkabilecek bir olgunun sorunlarını anlamaya, nasıl oluştuğunu ve nasıl çözümlenebileceğini bulmaya çalışırken edinmektedir. Yöntem içindeki entegrasyonda yerini alan adli tıp eğitimi, fakülte eğitiminin tümüne yayılmış olarak, 6 yıl süresince verilecektir. Bu değişiklik nedeniyle, adli tıp eğitim programının gözden geçirilmesi ve bir pratisyen hekimin adli tıp konusunda hangi bilgi ve becerilere sahip olması gerektiğinin belirlenmesi zorunluluğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bilimsel düşünme becerisi edinerek ve araştırıcı kişilik geliştirerek geleceğin hekimlerinin daha iyiye doğru değişimi sürdürebilmeleri olanaklıdır. Bu çağdaş değişimin tüm tıp fakültelerini etkileyeceğine ve sonuç olarak eğitimde standardizasyon sorununa çözüm bulunmasına ve nitelikli hekimler yetiştirilmesine katkıda bulunacağına inanıyoruz.Anahtar kelimeler: Tıp eğitimi, adli tıp, probleme dayalı öğrenim.

The development of interactive teaching material in forensic science at the University of Strathclyde

As part of the continued development of the forensic science teaching programme at the University of Strathclyde, a CD-ROM multi-media package for integration into the undergraduate teaching programme in the analysis of drugs of abuse has been developed. The perceived need for the programme is described. The required resources for development of the package, including staff time, teaching material, hardware and software and technical skills are outlined. The developmental process for the design and production of the package is described. The final outcome of the project is discussed.

Catching a Wave in the Internet Surf: Electronic Extemporaneous Speaking

Few individuals fail to notice the growing importance of computers and technology in information dissemination and gathering. However, the explosive trend towards the use of information technology is only marginally apparent in present forensic practice. It is well known among forensic programs that means can be used to gather evidence for presentation in events such as debate, persuasive speaking or informative speaking (Bartanen, 1993; Freeley, 1996). Nonetheless, tournament forensic performances remain largely unaffected by this technology. Little is seen of this technology inside competitive rounds. Recognizing the growing significance of information technology and its potential relevance to forensics practices, the Miami University forensics program sought to integrate this technology into a forensic event termed electronic extemporaneous speaking. Extemporaneous speaking is a public speaking event designed to challenge students' research, organization, critical thinking, and speaking skills by asking them to select among three proposed questions about significant current events and construct a seven minute speech with only 30 minutes of preparation time. In conventional extemp events, competitors may utilize files created at their home school composed of selected cuttings from major magazines and newspapers. In extemp, the paper and file folders of clippings are replaced with live internet access to published news databases. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the results of using extemp. This analysis is organized around four main points: 1) preparation for extemp, 2) event operation, 3) participant reaction, and 4) post event analysis by forensic staff. PREPARATION FOR ELECTRONIC EXTEMP Preparation for extemp began with discussion of the description of the event for the tournament invitation mailed out in August for a mid-October tournament date. The following description was included in the tournament invitation: EXPERIMENTAL EVENT: Electronic Extemp This event is designed to challenge a student's limited preparation speaking skills in relation to computer technology. It is our belief that such technology is becoming an increasingly relevant part of public speaking preparation in professional life. The event will be run just like regular extemp (30 min. prep time and 7 min. speaking time), but the students will rely on the full text database known as LEXIS/NEXIS for retrieving evidence and support for the speech instead of newspaper and magazine clipping files. Information on using LEXIS/NEXIS is provided in this invitation. There will be approximately 15 PCs and 15 Macintoshes available for student use in this event. Student preferences will be accommodated as much as possible. (Sesquicentennial invitation, 1996) In the tournament invitation, a LEXIS/NEXIS handout was included listing the command terms for LEXIS/NEXIS and sample searches. An explanation of LEXIS/NEXIS is appropriate for full comprehension of the extemp event. LEXIS/NEXIS is a specialized database that is commercially available through various means of the internet. The service is distinctive in that it provides full text access to a number of local, state, national, and international newspapers. It also provides full text access to law reviews, medical journals, court decisions, government documents, magazines, television news show transcripts, and professional journals. It is one of the more comprehensive full text database services available at present. The potential effectiveness of extemp is significantly affected by the power of an internet database retrieval system. Initial inquiries were made at our university library about whether existing LEXIS connections in the library could be expanded to cover our competitors. The library was reluctant to pursue this option given the strict terms of the LEXIS contract maintained by the university. …

Forcing the Insanity Defense on Unwilling Defendants: Best Interests and the Dignity of the Law

Although the choice of which plea to enter is reserved, under common law and most statutory law, to a criminal defendant, 17 of the 48 jurisdictions that retained the insanity defense at the time of this study permit that defense to be imposed over the objections of defendants. The authors present the results of a survey of the literature, statutes, and case law that deal with forced insanity defenses, as well as a national survey of attorneys general and state forensic mental health forensic program directors, which indicate that over a third of jurisdictions permit the imposition of the insanity defense on unwilling defendants. They also present the results of a detailed survey of 50 consecutive defendants evaluated for sanity in Colorado. While respondents from the jurisdictions (including Colorado) that permit forced insanity defenses estimate that such imposition is very rare, the results from the Colorado survey indicate that, at least in that state, it represents 32% of insanity defenses initially entered. The major reason for permitting such imposed defenses is a policy preference for preserving the dignity of the law over the rights of individual competent defendants. The authors discuss the implications of that position for forensic evaluators.

Phi Rho Pi

Rho Pi, the only forensic honorary devoted to two-year junior and community colleges, was established in 1927 by Sylvia Mariner. For Sylvia, a community college forensics coach, and her husband Cap C.E. Mariner, a retired army captain, this organization became their family. Sylvia viewed all the competitors and coaches in Rho Pi as her children and attended the national tournament every year until her death. At the 1971 National Tournament, a perpetual sweepstakes trophy was established named the Sylvia Mariner Sweepstakes Champion. This trophy is awarded to the college accumulating the most points at previous national tournaments and including the current nationals. It is the highest award any college can receive. As Sylvia told the 1971 participants, Phi Rho Pi has been my whole life (The Persuader, 1971, p. 20). The Mariner's service, love and financial endowments to the organization have allowed it to remain the organization it is today. Membership in Rho Pi is open to any two-year college with a forensics program. Students also join as individual members. In 1943, Dr. P. Merville Larson, the outgoing President of Rho Pi explained the principles which govern Rho Pi as follows: [1]Phi Rho Pi is organized for the development of the finest educational standards; [2]Phi Rho Pi is supported by membership fees and other moneys derived directly or indirectly from student members and as such owes those students the obligation of the greatest service possible; [3]Every member, whether student or sponsor, is entitled to a share in the government and responsibilities of the society; [4]Phi Rho Pi has the responsibility for making known the Junior College speech position to every agency or person in any way affected (The Persuader, 1970). These guiding principles continue to reflect the philosophy of the organization today. Rho Pi is governed by a President, Vice-President for Association, Vice-President for Tournament, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Comptroller. Their are nine Rho Pi regions and each region elects a regional governor. The annual business meeting takes place at the national tournament. Each school has two votes, a coach vote and a student vote. Each year, Rho Pi hosts a national tournament open to all member schools. While the national tournament has no qualification requirements, many programs establish their own. The tournament is the largest national tournament offering all eleven individual events, interpreters theatre, team debate (both CEDA and NDT), and Lincoln-Douglas debate (on the CEDA and NDT topics). In 1996, the organization voted to add parliamentary debate to the 1997 tournament. On an average, the national tournament draws 75 schools and 475 competitors. Each competitor may compete in up to five events and designate four to count toward individual and school sweepstakes. …

A Forensic Day Treatment Program for Personality-Disordered Criminal Offenders

The first forensic day treatment program in the Netherlands was started in February 1992 with a capacity of 10 clients. In this article, results of an ongoing evaluation study are presented. More than 40% of the clients had committed sexual offenses; the majority of the others had committed nonsexual crimes. 77Te clients exhibit symptoms of various personality disorders with high levels of hostility and general psychopathology. Assessment of treatment results reveals a substantial reduction of pathology, especially in terms of hostility and anxiety. However, a comparison of pretreatment test scores of dropouts with those of clients who have completed the program reveals that forensic day treatment may better suit the group of relatively older (225 years) child molesters with cluster C personality disorders. Younger offenders with cluster B personality disorders who had committed nonsexual crimes are over represented among the dropouts.