Angela Mueller 4.22.15 CJ Capstone Project Part 4: Forensic Lab

Introduction Forensic laboratories need to follow specific guidelines in order to be accredited by certain organizations. One such organization is the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, which has over thirty years of experience in certifying labs …show more content…
Confidence will grow in the lab with certification as well. Once a lab is deemed certified, it must continue to demonstrate quality and adaptability to remain certified. If not, or if the lab suffers any setback or does not abide by the bylaws of the ASCLD, revocation of the certification will occur. Labs that want to be certified should also draft a memo, or justification letter, to the ASCLD and to its management for becoming certified. The memo should state all reasons why the lab is wanting certification, the program it specializes in (type of lab, in other words) and why certification would help the lab. All labs also need testing requirements, such as testing for DNA, using the principles of ASCLD. All labs deal with biological matter, so there has to be safety standards set in order to protect workers from exposure. A good example of this is if someone was exposed to blood collected form a scene or evidence, or a victim. OSHA sets standards and regulations that must be followed, so labs need to have policies in place, and visible to all employees. There are examples of all such a memos