DNA as a Criminal Justice Tool
February 19th, 2008
The use of deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA to solve crimes is fast becoming a powerful tool due to the incredible accuracy of results when biological evidence is present. In the same manner that it is used to identify the criminal, it can also be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons that have been mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.
Crimes can be solved with the use of DNA technology in two ways. A sample of the person’s DNA can be compared to evidence from the crime scene in cases where there is an identified suspect. Otherwise, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender profiles in DNA databases. A match helps identify the perpetrator if he/she has already a record on file. A no-match at the very least encourages investigators to pursue other possibilities.