ASCLD Policy Library

The American Society of Crime Lab Directors represents managers, directors, and leaders of crime laboratories across the United States spanning the entire range of local, state, and federal government laboratories as well as private labs. As such, policymakers often look to ASCLD to weigh in on matters affecting the nation’s crime labs. ASCLD produces Position Papers, Formal Comments, and Official Statements on a wide range of topics. Below, you can find ASCLD’s official positions and comments on multiple issues across last last several years.

2023 ASCLD Position Statements

ASCLD Position Statement on At-Home Sexual Assault Evidence Kits– March 2023

2022 ASCLD Position Statements

ASCLD Position Statement on Parent Agencies– November 2022

2021 ASCLD Position Statements

ASCLD Comments to Draft of NIST DNA Mixture Interpretation– August 2021
ASCLD Supplemental Comments to Draft of NIST DNA Mixture Interpretation– November 2021

2020 ASCLD Position Statements

Rapid DNA Position Statement with Overview– November 2020
ASCLD White Paper on Sexual Assault Evidence Kits – May 2020

2019 ASCLD Position Statements

ASCLD Comments to NIJ’s Needs Assessment 2019 Report – December 2019
Volume of Untested Sexual Assault Evidence Kits (SAEKs) – November 2019
ASCLD Investigative Genetic Genealogy Position Paper – October 2019
Industrial Hemp and its Impact to Forensic Laboratories – January 2019
National Helium Gas Shortage – February 2019
Trauma and Stress in the Field of Forensic Science – February 2019

2018 ASCLD Position Statements

ASCLD Comments to NIST Foundational Documents – November 2018
Forensic Science Commissions and Massachusetts Senate Bill 2173 – March 2018

2017 ASCLD Position Statements

Position Statement on Rapid DNA – November 2017
DAG Announcement on DOJ Forensic Inititative – August 2017
NIJ SAFER Report – August 2017

2014 ASCLD Position Statements

Accreditation – August 2014
Rapid DNA – March 2014
CODIS Access – March 2014

2010 ASCLD Position Statements

Reviewing Historical Practices of Forensic Science Laboratories – September 2010
Technical Reviews of Outsourced DNA Cases – June 2010
DNA Backlogs and Laboratory Capacity – February 2010

2008 Position Statements

The purpose of the following position statements from 2008 is to provide guidelines to those outside our community for the positions we support in order to safeguard the integrity and value of our profession. These are not immutable laws nor are they all inclusive. However, they represent ASCLD’s positions on what each laboratory operation should strive to meet. ASCLD recognizes the tremendous value, trust and responsibility that the forensic sciences bring and the role our laboratories play within the broader justice community and to the public it serves. In keeping with ASCLD’s history of providing leadership to the forensic community, we are proud to offer our 2008 Position Statements. It is the intent of ASCLD to actively promote open communication and a better understanding of the guiding principles of our profession with all interested parties so we may collectively benefit from meeting our core mission.

-Issued December 2008 by President Dean M. Gialamas and President-Elect Beth Greene

ASCLD Position #1 - Ethics and Objectivity.

ASCLD believes the practice of forensic science must be built on a foundation of ethics and objectivity. Regardless of whether a laboratory is a part of a police or sheriff’s department, a local or state attorney’s office, a medical examiner’s office or any other parent agency, laboratory managers and employees of forensic laboratories must avoid any activity, interest, influence, or association that interferes or appears to interfere with their independent ability to exercise professional judgment. Our professional ethics provide the basis for the examination of evidence and the reporting of analytical results by blending the scientific principles and the statutory requirements into guidelines for professional behavior. Laboratory managers must strive to ensure that forensic science examinations are conducted in accordance with sound scientific principles and within the framework of the statutory requirements to which forensic professionals are responsible.

ASCLD Position #2 – Financial Resources.

ASCLD believes proper and continuous funding is critical for all forensic science laboratories and operations to meet their near-term and long-term operational demands as well as their training and continuing education needs. Adequately resourced budgets allow forensic managers to provide the proper space, technological support and staffing levels to meet (i) the quality and time demands of casework and (ii) the on-going competency requirements for training, research, technological development, and innovation. Funding must be substantial and consistent in order to provide accurate, timely and meaningful results that can identify the guilty and exonerate the innocent.

ASCLD Position #3 – Accreditation.

ASCLD believes accreditation of ALL forensic science operations is an essential quality component. Accreditation, with movement toward ISO/IEC 17025 based international standards as currently offered by our strategic partners, provides confidence and assurance to a parent organization, its employees, the criminal justice community, and the public that the operation can meet the most comprehensive forensic quality management system requirements.

ASCLD Position #4 – Education, Training and Certification.

ASCLD believes laboratory managers and parent organizations need to develop, share and support the best practices of technological and fiscal efficiency in order to achieve standardization within the forensic disciplines. The development of standardized methods and procedures, the development of common language in benchmarking performance studies, and the careful analysis of fiscal and operational metrics will provide improved accountability to the justice community and standardization between all forensic science laboratories and operations.

ASCLD Position #5 – Standardization and Best Practices.

ASCLD Position #6 – Oversight.

ASCLD believes the creation and support of an advisory infrastructure which includes the appropriate stakeholders is a means to promote and encourage scientific and managerial excellence in the forensic community. Such an infrastructure, however named and formed, must be advisory (non-controlling) in function and comprised of individuals with the knowledge and understanding of forensic science which could identify and help resolve legitimate concerns while discrediting criticisms that are unfounded or unsupported.

ASCLD Comments on National Commission on Forensic Science Documents

Recommendation on Presentation of Expert Testimony – October 2014
Recommendation on Presentation of Expert Testimony – November 2014
Recommendation on AFIS Interoperability – May 2015
Recommendation on Discovery – May 2015
Recommendation on Root Cause Analysis – May 2015
Recommendation on Testimony Using the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” – May 2015
Recommendation on National Code of Professional Responsibility – May 2015
Recommendation on National Forensic Science Curriculum – August 2015
Views on Proficiency Testing in Forensic Science – August 2015
Views on Report Content – August 2015
Views on Task Relevant Information – August 2015
Views on Critical Steps to Accreditation – December 2015
Views on Establishing the Foundational Literature within the Forensic Science Disciplines – December 2015

Recommendation on Funding Post-doctoral Projects to Facilitate Translation of Research into Forensic Science Practice – December 2015
Recommendation on National Code of Professional Responsibility – December 2015
Recommendation on Testimony Using the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty” – December 2015
Recommendation on Transparency of Quality System Documents – December 2015
Views on Accreditation of Certifying Bodies – June 2016
Views on Certification of FSSPs – June 2016
Views on Optimizing Human Performance – June 2016
Views on Proficiency Testing – June 2016
Views Regarding Accreditation Program Requirements – June 2016
Recommendation and Views on Case Record and Report Content – June 2016
Recommendation on DME Accreditation – September 2016
Views on Statistical Statements in Forensic Testimony – September 2016
Views on Use of Checklists in Forensic Science – September 2016

2023 ASCLD Position Statements

2022 ASCLD Position Statements

2021 ASCLD Position Statements

2020 ASCLD Position Statements

2019 ASCLD Position Statements

2018 ASCLD Position Statements

2017 ASCLD Position Statements

2014 ASCLD Position Statements

2010 ASCLD Position Statements

2008 Position Statements

ASCLD Comments on National Commission on Forensic Science Documents

ASCLD Comments on U.S. Department of Justice Documents

2019 Needs Assessment Report for Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiners

Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports

Forensic Science Discipline Reviews

2017 RFI on Advancing Forensic Science

Other ASCLD Policy Documents