You asked for state and local laboratory turnaround times for various forensic tests in the 50 states.

SUMMARY

Connecticut's turnaround times for forensic tests were published in a January 30, 2009 Hartford Courant article. Because we were unable to find a central source of data on other lab turnaround times, we mailed surveys to 201 state and local forensic laboratories in the United States. This survey asked for the average turnaround times for forensic tests in the following disciplines: forensic biology; DNA; trace; and identification. Of those surveyed, only 34 laboratories responded to OLR's survey. Despite the low response rate, the responding laboratories represent a geographically diverse sample.

The results indicate great variations in the time necessary to complete forensic tests among the responding laboratories. For example, the turnaround time for DNA tests in property crime cases ranges from 20 days (Ohio, Mansfield Police Department) to up to two years (Connecticut, Department of Public Safety Forensic Science Laboratory).

Compared to the 34 reporting laboratories, Connecticut's turnaround times were the longest in nine categories; tied with another state for being the longest in three categories; within the ranges provided by the other reporting laboratories in nine categories; and was the shortest in one category (National Integrated Ballistics Network (NIBIN)). NIBIN allows departments to file ballistic evidence in a central database to discover links between crimes using firearms. Connecticut's turnaround times lag significantly behind that of other states for the testing of sex crime kits with evidence, latent fingerprints with processing, firearms, toolmarks, and reconstruction.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

No publicly available resource provides laboratory-specific turnaround times for state and local forensic laboratories in the United States. This lack of information may be because the method of calculating turnaround times varies among laboratories. The FORESIGHT Project at West Virginia University, funded by the National Institute of Justice, recently created a standard method for laboratories to calculate turnaround times (Max Houck et al., FORESIGHT: A Business Approach to Improving Forensic Science Services, 1 Forensic Science Policy and Management 85, 86 (2009)). To date, only 14 laboratories have adopted the FORESIGHT method and have reported turnaround times using the method (id.). These 14 laboratories remain anonymous, but their mean and median turnaround times are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Days to Complete Cases for Reporting Local and State Forensic Laboratories*

Source: Foresight: http://www.be.wvu.edu/forensic/foresight.htm

In addition to FORESIGHT, the Department of Justice has also collected aggregate turnaround time information. In July 2008, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released the 2005 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories (Matthew Durose, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories (2005)). The census found a high percentage of backlogged cases (those not completed within thirty days) at the end of 2005 (id. at 6). The DOJ concluded that the backlogs could be reduced hiring more staff at forensic laboratories (id. at 11). Table 2 shows the nationwide percentage of backlogged cases in the various disciplines, as well as the percent increase in full time staff needed to eliminate the backlogs.

Table 2: Nationwide Percentage of Backlogged Cases & Percentage Increase in Full Time Examiners Needed to Eliminate Backlog

Matthew Durose, the Department of Justice Statistician responsible for the census, could not provide us with a breakdown of the backlogs by laboratory.

Although the Federal Bureau of Investigation has laboratory-specific turnaround time information, the agency refused to release these figures.

METHODOLOGY

On January 30, 2010, the Hartford Courant made public a Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory memorandum that included state turnaround times for various forensic tests. We relied on this memorandum for Connecticut's turnaround times.

To determine laboratory turnaround times in the other 49 states, OLR surveyed 201 local and state forensic laboratories. This survey was mailed or sent electronically and asked for the turnaround times of forensic tests in the following disciplines: DNA, forensic biology, trace, and identification. Only 34 laboratories responded to the survey. Possible reasons for the low-response rate include the unavailability of turnaround times, ambivalence about being compared to other laboratories, and confidentiality of information. Some responding

laboratories complained that staff shortages and inadequate funding result in long turnaround times. These problems may also help to explain the low response rate.

Many laboratories were only able to provide estimates. Importantly, some laboratories calculate turnaround times from the date the last sample of evidence is received; others calculate turnaround times from the date the first sample of evidence is received (Max Houck et al., FORESIGHT: A Business Approach to Improving Forensic Science Services, 1 Forensic Science Policy and Management 85, 87 (2009)). This survey did not control for this discrepancy. In addition, some laboratories include only weekdays in turnaround times; others include weekends. This survey did not control for this discrepancy.

Various laboratories count turnarounds in days, weeks, months, and years. This report preserves each laboratory's calculation method. Some laboratories did not differentiate among samples containing subgroups. For example, New Hampshire does not distinguish between sex crime kits only and sex crime kits with other evidence. OLR has noted this lack of differentiation where possible.

RESULTS

Forensic Biology

Forensic biology testing is the collection, detection, and non-DNA analysis of biological fluids. Table 3 shows the turnaround times for forensic biology tests in sex crime cases and homicide cases.

Table 3: Average Time to Complete Forensic Biology Tests

Connecticut's turn-around times in the forensic biology category range from two weeks to 12 months. More specifically, Connecticut's turnaround times for sex crime kits only (six months) and for homicides with a suspect (six months) are the same as that in Rhode Island, but are longer than the turnaround times of the remaining reporting laboratories. Connecticut's turnaround time for sex crime kits with evidence (12 months) is considerably longer than that of the other reporting laboratories. Connecticut's turnaround time for rush homicide cases (two weeks) falls within the range that other laboratories reported.

DNA

DNA testing is the analysis of evidence for the DNA of a crime suspect or victim. Table 4 shows the turnaround times for DNA tests in cases with and without a suspect, and in property crime cases.

Table 4: Average Time to Complete DNA Tests

Connecticut's high estimate of the turnaround time for regular DNA cases without a suspect (nine months) is longer than the turnaround times of the other reporting laboratories; however, Connecticut's low estimate (3 months) falls within the range that other laboratories reported. Connecticut's high estimate of the turnaround time for property crime DNA testing (two years) is longer than that of the other reporting laboratories; however, Connecticut's low estimate (1 year) is consistent with the turnaround time at North Carolina's Charlotte-Mecklenburg lab (12 months). The Connecticut turnaround times for rush DNA tests with and without suspects, as well as regular DNA tests with a suspect, fall within the range that other laboratories reported.

Trace

Trace evidence is data in small quantities. It is often material that is transferred from one object to another, such as strands of hair, skin cells, paint, fibers, soil, and gunshot residue. Table 5 shows the turnaround times for trace evidence tests.

Table 5: Time to Complete Trace Tests

Connecticut's turnaround time for regular trace evidence (one year) is consistent with the turnaround time at the Missouri State Police Laboratory (365 days). Connecticut's turnaround times for arson gun shot residue and instrumentation gun shot residue fall within the range provided by the other reporting laboratories.

Identification

Identification testing is the analysis of evidence to determine its origin. Latent fingerprint identification means the analysis of accidental impressions left by a finger's ridge skin on a surface. The processing of latent prints involves electronic, chemical, or physical processing to make invisible prints visible. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) stores these fingerprints and, when possible, links them to subjects. Table 6 shows the turnaround times for identification testing of latent prints entered into AFIS on a rush basis, latent prints with processing, documents, imprints and impressions, and digital images.

Table 6: Average Time to Complete Identification Tests: Part I

Connecticut's turnaround time for latent prints with processing (one year) is longer than that of the other reporting laboratories. Connecticut's turnaround time for imprints and impressions (six months to one year) is similar to that of New Hampshire's State Police Laboratory (330 days) but is longer than the other reporting laboratories. As of November 2009, Connecticut had only one imprints and impressions examiner, which may help to explain the six month turnaround time. Connecticut's turnaround times for latent fingerprints entered into AFIS on a rush basis, document examination, and digital imaging fall within the ranges provided by the other reporting laboratories.

Identification testing also involves the analysis of firearms, toolmarks, and photography. To discover links between crimes using firearms, laboratories often file ballistics evidence with NIBIN. Table 7 shows the turnaround times for the identification of firearms, toolmarks, and photography, as well as the time necessary to file NIBIN entries and reconstruct a crime scene.

Table 7: Average Time to Complete Identification Tests: Part II

Connecticut's turnaround times for firearms, toolmarks, photography, and reconstruction are longer than that of the other reporting laboratories; however, Connecticut's turnaround time for NIBIN entries is the fastest.

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