Feature Channels: Crime and Forensic Science

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The more expensive an item, the more likely it is to be targeted by thieves and stolen, a report by a University of Warwick academic has revealed.

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Cyber thieves who steal credit and debit card numbers are making millions of dollars in profits, fueling a global criminal enterprise marked by the high-profile data breaches of major companies such as Target and Home Depot.

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After 30 years in prison on a wrongful rape conviction, George D. Perrot was freed Wednesday, thanks in part to the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis.

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Reducing incarceration can reduce the number of sexual partners men and women have.

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In letter to White House, Cassell, a former federal judge, cites “unjust” 55-year mandatory minimum sentence he was forced to hand down in 2004 to Angelos, then a 24-year-old music producer.

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In a randomized control trial, volunteer participants were subjected to Taser shocks and tested for cognitive impairment. Some showed short-term declines in cognitive functioning comparable to dementia, raising serious questions about the ability of police suspects to understand their rights at the point of arrest.

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More should be done to stop the use of endangered species in traditional Chinese medicines, with snow leopard, tiger and rhinoceros DNA still being found in remedies, according to a leading University of Adelaide pathologist.

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People hospitalized due to an encounter with a law enforcement officer are more likely to have a mental illness, have longer hospitalizations, more injuries to the back and spine, and greater need for extended care than those hospitalized due to altercations with other civilians. The findings, based on 10 years of Illinois hospitalization data, are published in the journal Injury Epidemiology.

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The severity of the criminal penalty for human trafficking in the U.S. has no effect on the number of suspects who are arrested and prosecuted for the crime, according to a wide-ranging new study by Northeastern criminologist Amy Farrell and her research partners.

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A group of nuclear detectives at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory takes on tough challenges, from detecting illicit uranium using isotopic “fingerprints” to investigating Presidential assassination conspiracies.

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In a survey of students at nine U.S. colleges and universities, the percentage of undergraduate women who experienced a sexual assault, defined as sexual battery or rape, during 2014-2015 academic year varied considerably—rates varied among the 9 schools, ranging from 4 percent to 20 percent.

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Between 1999 and 2013, there were 5,511 deaths by legal intervention or law enforcement in the U.S., and in 2013, an estimated 11.3 million arrests resulted in approximately 480 deaths from law enforcement.

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The old adage that says “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” has finally been put to the test – mathematically – in research led by the University of Adelaide.

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Forensic science is a vital crime-fighting tool in today’s criminal justice system. But it can also lead to false convictions, according to Canisius College Physics Professor H. David Sheets, PhD. Study proves that bite-mark analysis is “far from an exact science.”

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New research shows how Mexico's staggering murder rate led to a decrease in men's average life expectancy, and slowed the increase in women's life expectancy, in the first decade of the 21st century.

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Curious seismologists who looked at the recordings made by a seismic station four miles away from the "cook-off" of an ammunition holding area in Iraq in 2006 found they could distinguish, mortars, rockets, improvised explosive devices, helicopters and drones. Seismology is increasingly being used for investigative purposes, they said, not just to detect earthquakes.

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Field study of police lineups suggests courts must pay attention to initial witness confidence ratings and police departments should continue using traditional, simultaneous procedure.

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Men are more likely to go missing – with a fatal outcome – during a night out in the UK in December than at any other time of year, a new study led by an expert from London’s Kingston University has revealed

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Saint Louis University public health research study calls for immediate, low-cost steps to address issue.

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Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that unique and changing microbial communities present during decomposition of human cadavers may provide a reliable “clock” for forensic scientists. The method could be used to estimate time of death in different seasons, as well determine the original location of moved corpses and help locate buried corpses.

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Rutgers University-Newark’s Robin Gaby Fisher has spent her career writing about tragedy and resilience

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Tübingen researchers match bullets to wounds using organ-specific protein signatures found on projectiles.

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Motivated by hundreds of false convictions, many states and law enforcement agencies have reformed eyewitness identification procedures. Reforms that California adopted were based on solid science while some it resisted were on shaky ground.

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Fantasy sports look a lot like sports betting when you look at the way Internet sites have changed the game entirely, and the billions they are making in the process.

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Case Western Reserve University School of Law, with a grant from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, will launch a human trafficking law clinic in which students, under faculty supervision, will represent victims of human trafficking and sexual assault. Professors Judith Lipton and Maureen Kenny will serve as co-directors of the Human Trafficking Project, which will provide legal services to survivors of human trafficking and education and awareness to service providers, educators, students and the general public on this important issue.

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Iris believes answers to the real policing problems often lie in the massive amounts of data law enforcement agencies collect on every aspect of their operations. Early Intervention Systems track everything from absences from work to the number of times an officer is named in a lawsuit.

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New research finds that mental health courts are effective at reducing repeat offending, and limiting related jail time, for people with mental health problems – especially those who also have substance use problems.

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Between 1999 and 2013 in the U.S., between 279 (in 2000) to 507 (in 2012) people were killed each year by legal intervention or law enforcement, other than by legal execution. Between 1999 and 2013, there were 5,511 deaths by legal intervention.

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University of Alberta research is giving insight into how officer interactions with the homeless can shape their long-term attitudes toward police. The study, published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, finds negative interactions can affect attitudes for at least two years.

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Previous research has identified that exposure to the crime drama genre lowers rape myth acceptance and increases sexual assault prevention behaviors such as bystander intervention. However, recent content analyses have revealed marked differences in the portrayal of sexual violence within the top three crime drama franchises.

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A prison pen pal scheme, currently operating in 52 prisons in England and Wales, is contributing to prisoner wellbeing, offering early warning of potential suicide and improving the chances of successful rehabilitation, says an in-depth study from the University of Warwick.

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Feature length film focuses on the life of Victor Jara, considered the Bob Dylan of South America, who was assassinated shortly after the Chilean coup of 1973 for his political views and support for the democratic election of Popular Unity party candidate, President Salvador Allende

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Researchers at the University of Indianapolis have found that secondary transfer of human DNA through intermediary contact is far more common than previously thought, a finding that could have serious repercussions for medical science and the criminal justice system. Interviews are available on request at (317) 371-5240 or [email protected].

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A Mississippi State instructor of management is part of a recent study appearing in the Journal of Health Communication that explored the influence different crime dramas had on attitudes regarding sexual assault, rape and consent. Viewers of "Law and Order" had a better understanding of issues related to consent and were less likely to believe myths that blame sexual assault victims, whereas viewers of CSI and NCIS were linked with negative attitudes about sexual assault and consent-seeking behaviors.

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Recent negative publicity surrounding police after several shootings of unarmed civilians appears to have diminished some officers’ motivation to be in law enforcement but does not decrease willingness to carry out their duties, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

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Researchers at University of New Mexico and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory say cybersecurity breeches are not happening more frequently than they did a decade ago. And these data breaches in general are not growing in size.

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