In addition to this particular requirement, the ISO program has a requirement for an annual surveillance visit. During this site visit, any issues that may have come to the attention of ASCLD/LAB and/or requirements selected by ASCLD/LAB are reviewed. The accreditation programs are managed by a paid staff member working under the direction of a board of directors, which is elected by the Delegate Assembly. The Delegate Assembly is composed of the directors of all accredited laboratories and laboratory systems. Inspectors must complete a training program and must be employed in an accredited laboratory. At any time, if an issue is brought to the attention of ASCLD/LAB, the board of directors can, after determining that the claim is substantive, implement an interim inspection of that particular issue and the entire laboratory. The program also includes a system of sanctions and an appeal process.

ASCLD/LAB’s international program has accredited 60 laboratories as of April 2008, in addition to 337 laboratories accredited under the original Legacy program.¹⁶ FQS-International (FQS-I) has accredited just over 50 laboratories in one or more disciplines; however, FQS-I allows forensic laboratories to customize their accreditation by phasing in one discipline at a time.¹⁷ A survey of International Association for Identification (IAI) members, who tend to work in settings other than traditional crime laboratories, revealed that only 15 percent of respondents are accredited.¹⁸

Only a few jurisdictions require that their forensics laboratories be accredited. According to the 2005 census of 351 publicly funded crime laboratories, more than three-quarters of laboratories (78 percent) were

Front Matter (R1-R20)

Summary (1-34)

1 Introduction (35-54)

2 The Forensic Science Community and the Need for Integrated Governance (55-84)

3 The Admission of Forensic Science Evidence in Litigation (85-110)

4 The Principles of Science and Interpreting Scientific Data (111-126)

5 Descriptions of Some Forensic Science Disciplines (127-182)

6 Improving Methods, Practice, and Performance in Forensic Science (183-192)

7 Strengthening Oversight of Forensic Science Practice (193-216)

8 Education and Training in Forensic Science (217-240)

9 Medical Examiner and Coroner Systems: Current and Future Needs (241-268)

10 Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (269-278)

11 Homeland Security and the Forensic Science Disciplines (279-286)

Appendix A: Biographical Information of Committee and Staff (287-302)

Appendix B: Committee Meeting Agendas (303-314)

Index (315-328)