Chairman Hatch, Senator Leahy, honorable members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by first thanking the committee for passing last year the Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act (NFSIA). This important piece of legislation is a tribute to Senator Coverdell as well as a recognition of the crucial need to support and improve the forensic sciences nationwide.

I began my career in the forensic sciences in the early 1970s in the Georgia laboratory system, and was initially paid with federal funds through the Law Enforcement Assistance Act (LEAA). At that time, LEAA funding was used by some law enforcement agencies to establish, expand, and improve crime laboratories. Unfortunately, the LEAA and similar later programs did not specifically address all of the critical needs of forensic science laboratories. The NFSIA is the first comprehensive piece of legislation which addresses all aspects of our work - drug analysis, toxicology, post-mortem medical examinations, latent print examinations, firearms examinations, DNA analyses, trace evidence and microscopic examinations, and document examinations.

During my thirty-year career, I have worked as a chemist and serologist; served as the first director of the Augusta, Georgia crime laboratory; and in 1985 began my career in Illinois as an Assistant Bureau Chief in charge of the seven Illinois State Police operational laboratories. I have been fortunate to have worked in two states that have supported their forensic science laboratory systems. However, today in Illinois and throughout our nation, we are facing a crisis - a crisis caused by a shortage of forensic science resources.

In the 21st century, the criminal justice system relies heavily upon forensic science services as an integral part of the investigative and judicial process. While billions of federal dollars have been spent on virtually every other criminal justice component - police officers, the courts, prisons, and information technology - the highly technical and expensive forensic sciences have received very little federal support. In most states and municipalities, funding has simply not kept pace with the increasing demand for crime laboratory analyses. This neglect has resulted in severe backlogs in forensic laboratories nationwide. For example, since 1990, the average U.S. forensic laboratory has experienced an increase in caseload of 23 percent, while budgets have grown only 10 percent and staff size by only 9 percent. This problem becomes even more significant considering the fact that most laboratories have long experienced resource shortages, and the demands by the criminal justice system to implement new crime fighting technologies such as the Combined Offender DNA Identification System (CODIS) stretch existing resources to intolerable limits.

Further compounding the caseload growth, backlogs, and added new technologies is the issue of quality - the most important variable in the operation of forensic laboratories. Many forensic science professionals are concerned that the growing demands on laboratories have, or can have, a negative impact on the quality of the results achieved. Laboratory accreditation (which is voluntary) is generally accepted as the fundamental step in quality assurance and consistency in forensic science processes. But, due mainly to the costs associated with accreditation, only five in ten forensic laboratories are now accredited. To meet or exceed the stringent standards and proficiency testing requirements established by accreditation, most laboratories must upgrade facilities, purchase or improve equipment, enhance analytical processes, and add professional and support staff.

Additionally, federal and state governments have set and mandated certain analytical standards and enacted laws which have fiscally impacted the nation’s forensic science laboratories. Examples of these include the standards promulgated by the Department of Justice’s DNA Advisory Board (DAB), standards set by federally sponsored scientific and technical working groups (SWGS/TWGS), state laws which require the creation and/or expansion of forensic databases, and federal and state laws which impact the analytical testing of controlled substances. All of these standards and laws are enacted with good intentions and are beneficial. However, their implementation often exhausts the limited resources of our nation’s forensic science laboratories. In Illinois an amendment to the Criminal Code requiring that additional offenders be included in the ISP CODIS would require approximately $0.5 million/year in additional funding for us to analyze and enter these samples.

How Would NFSIA Funding Be Used In Illinois?

The Illinois State Police forensic science laboratory system is the third largest forensic system in the world. In 1982, we became the first accredited forensic laboratory system, and look forward to our fourth reaccreditation in 2002. We have an extensive training program, a systemwide quality assurance program, and a research and development program. However, backlogs and turnaround times continue to increase; we find it necessary to implement service reductions; and the implementation of new technologies stretch our resources and challenge our ability to provide timely services. In Illinois, there are two additional forensic science laboratories, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory and the Northern Illinois Police Crime Laboratory. Both of these accredited laboratories face the same resource challenges that we face.

The Illinois State Police has reviewed our ability to provide quality and timely forensic science services to the criminal justice system in Illinois. Three organizational areas have been identified that will require significant additional monetary support during the next five years:

     1) Staffing - In order to process the current caseload, the increase in CODIS database samples, and the increase in firearms submissions for the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS), an additional 160 scientists and support personnel are required. The total cost for these personnel over a five-year period is approximately $41 million. To train these additional people, buy equipment and supplies, and fully support the new and expanded techniques, approximately $17.5 million in additional operating funds are needed over the next five years.

     2) Training - Due to attrition and the retirement of individuals who began their careers in the early 1970s, we could potentially lose as many as 190 personnel by 2005. In order to properly train their replacements and the additional personnel needed to meet operational needs, the ISP is proposing the establishment of a Forensic Sciences Institute (FSI). The FSI would be centrally located in Illinois and could potentially serve as a training resource for Illinois, and the whole midwest region of our nation. The initial training of forensic scientists is a considerable challenge, and the Illinois State Police has developed and implemented a training program which has been recognized for its excellence. The proposed FSI would not only meet our needs, but would provide trained forensic scientists for laboratories outside of Illinois. The facility, administrative offices, dormitories, and the training area construction costs for the FSI is approximately $42.3 million. Equipment lease purchase costs are estimated at $2.2 million/year over a five-year period. Personnel costs at full operation are estimated to be $6.2 million per year.

     3) Facilities - The Illinois State Police forensic science laboratory system is made up of eight operational laboratories and a research and development laboratory. Short-term renovation for expanded services is needed at each facility which would require $20.5 million in funding. Additionally, major facility projects over the next five years include an addition to the Chicago Laboratory (FSC-C) and new laboratory facilities at Joliet, Springfield, Metro-East (St. Louis), and Carbondale.

Funding obtained through the NFSIA would certainly help address the Illinois State Police budgetary shortfalls cited in the above three areas. I know that forensic science laboratories throughout our nation are facing similar problems. I also know that the forensic sciences can have a profound effect on the lives of all Americans. Our highly discriminating technology and databases can identify perpetrators of crimes and stop them from committing additional offenses. But the same wonderful technology also can exonerate those individuals falsely accused of a crime. Your help is needed to enable our nation’s forensic scientists to provide this critical scientific information to the criminal justice system. I want to thank the committee for supporting the passage of the NFSIA and respectfully request your support in the appropriation process.