Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-07-29

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 0309142393

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Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.


Regulating Paradise

Regulating Paradise

Author: David L. Callies

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2010-07-06

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0824860446

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Land use in Hawai‘i remains the most regulated of all the fifty states. According to many sources, the process of going from raw land to the completion of a project may well average ten years given that ninety-five percent of raw land is initially classified by the State Land Use Commission as either conservation or agriculture. How did this happen and to what end? Will it continue? What laws and regulations control the use of land? Is the use of land in Hawai‘i a right or a privilege? These questions and others are addressed in this long-overdue second edition of Regulating Paradise, a comprehensive and accessible text that will guide readers through the many layers of laws, plans, and regulations that often determine how land is used in Hawai‘i. It provides the tools to analyze an enormously complex process, one that frustrates public and private sectors alike, and will serve as an essential reference for students, planners, regulators, lawyers, land use professionals, environmental and cultural organizations, and others involved with land use and planning.