Fergie's Tech Blog

Using DNA to Trace Criminals in Your Family?

Studies have shown that a person's chances of committing a crime go up if a parent or sibling had previously done so. And a 1999 U.S. Department of Justice survey found that 46 percent of jail inmates had at least one close relative who had been incarcerated.

The U.K. has adopted a policy where almost any run-in with the law, even minor ones, will allow police to collect DNA. In the United States, the rules vary depending on the state. Currently, the U.S. criminal database contains DNA samples of about 3 million people.

Despite the potential usefulness of the technique, experts worry that maintaining a DNA database of criminal relatives could reflect—perhaps even amplify—demographic disparities already present in the criminal justice system.

posted by Fergie @ 5/11/2006 02:20:00 PM