COMBINING EXPERTISE FOR EFFECTIVE JUSTICE

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides federal funding through multiple forensic science programs to combat violent crime, resolve cases, lower recidivism, increase public safety, and enhance justice. In collaboration with BJA, the Forensics Training and Technical Assistance (Forensics TTA) Program, led by RTI International, offers a team of subject matter experts who provide expertise and assistance to grantees in support of BJA’s overall mission to strengthen America’s criminal justice system.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

PROGRAMS

Dark purple-filled circle with a DNA spiral icon inside

DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program

The CEBR Program provides federal funding for publicly funded accredited forensic DNA laboratories to process, and increase capacity to process, eligible samples for entry into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Purple-filled circle with three standing people icons with the middle person having a question mark

Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program

The MUHR Program provides federal funding to eligible entities so they can improve reporting, transportation, forensic testing, and identification of missing persons and unidentified human remains in the United States, including migrants.

Pink-filled circle with a microscope icon inside

Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program

The Coverdell Program provides federal funding for states and local government units to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner (ME/C) services.

Grey-filled circle with a justice scale icon inside

Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence (Postconviction) Program

The Postconviction Program provides federal funding for states and local government units to defray the costs associated with postconviction DNA testing in cases of violent felony offenses (as defined by state law) in which actual innocence might be demonstrated.

Dark grey-filled circle with a woman holding a sword and a justice scale inside

Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program

The COLD Program provides federal funding for agencies to resolve violent cold case crimes by providing them with resources to investigate and prosecute cases where a suspect’s DNA profile has been generated.

Dark eggplant-filled circle with a medical icon inside

Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program

The ME/C Program provides federal funding to help address medicolegal death investigation (MDI) workforce needs to increase the number of practicing board-certified forensic pathologists and to support ME/C offices’ needs to implement and follow quality standards and performance criteria in an effort to provide a consistent and equitable application of MDI services.

HIGHLIGHTS

CEBR Funding Contributes to Approximately Half of All CODIS Hits to Date

Recent performance data from grantees show that CEBR funding is responsible for more than 500 CODIS hits per week. Based on the reported metrics, the CEBR Program has contributed to...

Coverdell funding enables the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to increase annual death investigations

Using Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program funding, the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) contracted with board-certified forensic pathologists which enabled the office to investigate...

Maui man walks free after 30 years behind bars, with help of Hawaiʻi Innocence Project

Gordon Cordeiro had been serving a term of life in prison without parole for charges stemming from an apparent drug deal robbery gone bad. Court records show that on August...

She was left strangled outside. 46 years later, police found a suspect

More than 45 years ago, Kathryn Donohue, a 31-year-old union secretary, went out for dinner in Georgetown with co-workers after work. Early the next morning, on March 3, 1979, a...

Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services helps address the national shortage of medical examiners through ME/C funding

Since being awarded grant funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program, the Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services (BCOMETS)...
Live Facebook Feed
Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Check out this program success for the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program: The Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner utilized their Coverdell funding to contract board-certified forensic pathologists allowing them to increase the number of death investigations completed during their award. Read more about this program success: https://ow.ly/iSa750VJb33

Check out this program success for the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program: The Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner utilized their Coverdell funding to contract board-certified forensic pathologists allowing them to increase the number of death investigations completed during their award. Read more about this program success: ow.ly/iSa750VJb33 ... See MoreSee Less

Today, we continue to commemorate National Missing and Unidentified Persons Month by highlighting the BJA’s Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program and recognizing the critical role the ME/C system assumes in assisting in the identification of missing and unidentified persons. This program aims to address the shortage of practicing board-certified forensic pathologists by providing agencies with funding to fund fellowships and improve the quality and consistency of the services provided by ME/C offices across the country. Since its inception in 2017, ME/C Program funds have been used to support 31 individuals in achieving board-certification. See what other successes this program has achieved: https://ow.ly/gSwS50VF9va

Today, we continue to commemorate National Missing and Unidentified Persons Month by highlighting the BJA’s Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program and recognizing the critical role the ME/C system assumes in assisting in the identification of missing and unidentified persons. This program aims to address the shortage of practicing board-certified forensic pathologists by providing agencies with funding to fund fellowships and improve the quality and consistency of the services provided by ME/C offices across the country. Since its inception in 2017, ME/C Program funds have been used to support 31 individuals in achieving board-certification. See what other successes this program has achieved: ow.ly/gSwS50VF9va ... See MoreSee Less

ICYMI: The archive of the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) Resources Webinar is now available! Viewers can get tips on submitting samples for DNA analysis, utilizing forensic genetic genealogy in their casework, and how to access UNTCHI resources for sexually motivated Jane and John Doe homicide cases, and indigenous missing and unidentified persons cases. Watch (or rewatch) the webinar here: https://ow.ly/UvNe50VFcrB

ICYMI: The archive of the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) Resources Webinar is now available! Viewers can get tips on submitting samples for DNA analysis, utilizing forensic genetic genealogy in their casework, and how to access UNTCHI resources for sexually motivated Jane and John Doe homicide cases, and indigenous missing and unidentified persons cases. Watch (or rewatch) the webinar here: ow.ly/UvNe50VFcrB ... See MoreSee Less

LOAD MORE

Get timely
FORENSICS TTA PROGRAM updates

The Forensics TTA Team wants to hear from you!

If BJA Forensics Programs funding has played a role in your organization’s success, no matter how small or how large, we would love to hear about it! Please share your achievements with the Forensics TTA Team by clicking the ‘Submit Highlight’ button.