Crime Labs Received an Estimated 2.7 Million Cas...(itation Board. State-operated labs accou...)

The BJS study found that about 80 percent of forensic requests backlogged from 2004 and new requests received in 2005 were completed by the end of 2005. The remaining 20 percent were backlogged at yearend. To achieve a 30-day turnaround on all 2005 requests, the different forensic disciplines would have needed varying increases in the number full-time examiners performing that work-ranging from an estimated 73 percent increase in DNA analysts to a 6 percent increase in examiners conducting toxicology analysis.

During 2005, the backlog grew for a range of commonly performed services. Labs performing controlled substance identification began 2005 with a median backlog of 44 such requests, which increased to 107 at yearend. A typical lab performing DNA testing began 2005 with 86 backlogged requests for DNA analysis and finished the year with a backlog of 152 requests.

Information was collected from 351 of the nearly 400 publicly funded federal, state and local crime labs operating in 2005.

The report, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2005 (NCJ 222181), was written by BJS statistician Matthew R. Durose. Following publication, the report can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cpffcl05.htm.

For additional information about the Bureau of Justice Statistics' statistical reports and programs, please visit the BJS Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the
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