Dna Profiling in the United States
DNA Profiling in relation to Crime and Race
DNA Profiling is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: The advent of DNA profiling has significantly enhanced the criminal investigative process. The use of DNA to convict the guilty and acquit the innocent has been promulgated by the media, and the value of DNA profiling is further highlighted when used to address miscarriages of justice. However, not so well publicized is the potential for DNA profiling to exacerbate existing racial bias in the American criminal justice system and subject ethnic minorities to disproportionate surveillance by law enforcement agencies. This section provides a brief overview of the operation of DNA databases and draws attention to some of the disparate effects that DNA profiling may have on ethnic minorities. The United Kingdom pioneered the use of DNA as an investigative tool when it introduced its National DNA Database in 1995.
Resources
Notes and References
- Entry about DNA Profiling in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime