Welcome to the MNIAI website!
Chartered in 1964, the Minnesota Division of the International Association for Identification (MNIAI) holds an annual educational conference devoted to continuing education for the forensic sciences, crime scene investigation and identification fields. Typically held in the fall, the conference is two days long.
Justice Pays Scholarship Contest for 2020/2021Whether it's legal oriented, or another field, Justice Pays believes in having a solid core education. The scholarship has a grand prize of $1,000 for the student that best showcases their interest in pursuing a degree. For more information, click here.
2020 Conference Registration is now open!
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MNIAI Charter Member, past MNIAI President, Secretary/Treasurer and Historian
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| the_iai__2020_educational_conference_news.pdf |
Call for Presentations!
Click the PDF file below
| the_iai_call_for_presentations.pdf |
Student Program Information
Click here for information
Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices Report to Congress
The Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO) applauds the Department of Justice for the completion of the Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices Report to Congress. Over the past twenty years forensic science has evolved, becoming more reliable and discriminating. Its use to fight crime and exonerate those who are innocent has expanded tremendously. Forensic science is now so routinely used in the courtroom and expected by jurors that the nation’s front line forensic examiners struggle to keep up with the demand. The CFSO is pleased that Congress included their request for this needs assessment in the 2016 Justice for All Reauthorization Act to determine the true cost of providing valid and reliable forensic science testimony by scientists in public laboratories.
CFSO Chair Matthew Gamette stated, “As I remarked in testimony before Congress this year, we need the continued support of the federal government to fund efforts to increase forensic laboratory and medical examiner capacity, capability, and training. Forensic Science Service Providers have significantly decreased backlogs, addressed turnaround times, and advanced forensic science when the resources are available for them to do so. The needs assessment provides a remarkable opportunity for the federal government to make the investment necessary for forensic services in the United States to lead the world. Making this investment now will ensure that the needs of the criminal justice system are met, that the correct people are held responsible for their crimes, and that victims of crime are able to see justice in their cases."
The report concludes there is not sufficient funding to process increasing amounts of forensic evidence. It states that the counties, state, local and tribal crime laboratories and medical examiner/coroner offices have a $640 million deficit for normal operations, but the increase of opioid expenditures adds another $270 million to that cost.
The report spent the last two years meeting with key forensic science providers and stakeholders to determine the state of the community and what resources are needed to keep up with the growing demand for forensic examinations. Read report.
CFSO Chair Matthew Gamette stated, “As I remarked in testimony before Congress this year, we need the continued support of the federal government to fund efforts to increase forensic laboratory and medical examiner capacity, capability, and training. Forensic Science Service Providers have significantly decreased backlogs, addressed turnaround times, and advanced forensic science when the resources are available for them to do so. The needs assessment provides a remarkable opportunity for the federal government to make the investment necessary for forensic services in the United States to lead the world. Making this investment now will ensure that the needs of the criminal justice system are met, that the correct people are held responsible for their crimes, and that victims of crime are able to see justice in their cases."
The report concludes there is not sufficient funding to process increasing amounts of forensic evidence. It states that the counties, state, local and tribal crime laboratories and medical examiner/coroner offices have a $640 million deficit for normal operations, but the increase of opioid expenditures adds another $270 million to that cost.
The report spent the last two years meeting with key forensic science providers and stakeholders to determine the state of the community and what resources are needed to keep up with the growing demand for forensic examinations. Read report.
Forensic Research Committee Survey
The IAI is committed to promoting, encouraging, and maintaining the highest standards of practice in forensic science. This is accomplished, in part, by encouraging the adoption of standards and best practice recommendations endorsed by the Organization for Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC).
The IAI understands that implementation of new methods or protocols is often challenging and resource intensive. In an effort to support the forensic science community, the IAI and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) are interested in understanding key challenges and barriers to implementation and identifying potential solutions to increase the likelihood agencies/organizations can increase consistency and quality of forensic science practices. Further, the IAI is supporting the ASCLD with capturing baseline information related to the extent to which documents developed or approved by OSAC have been implemented or intend to be implemented into agency/organization standard operating procedures.
To accomplish this, the ASCLD Forensic Research Committee and Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee have developed a web-based online survey. Among its benefits, the survey aims to provide baseline information and feedback about the extent documents included on the OSAC Registry have been implemented or are intended to be implemented into crime laboratory standard operating procedures, and to identify key challenges many laboratories face with implementation initiatives. Once this baseline is established, the ASCLD Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee will continue to evaluate the operational impact of proposed OSAC standards through Impact Surveys distributed to the ASCLD and IAI membership. These surveys provide a deeper understanding to issues surrounding implementation and will enable the ASCLD, OSAC, and IAI, to develop solutions to lower the barriers and promote greater consistency across the forensic science community.
The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is intended for forensic science professionals actively working in agencies/organizations providing forensic science services. The link to the survey is below and will close on March 31, 2020.
Take the Survey
The IAI understands that implementation of new methods or protocols is often challenging and resource intensive. In an effort to support the forensic science community, the IAI and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) are interested in understanding key challenges and barriers to implementation and identifying potential solutions to increase the likelihood agencies/organizations can increase consistency and quality of forensic science practices. Further, the IAI is supporting the ASCLD with capturing baseline information related to the extent to which documents developed or approved by OSAC have been implemented or intend to be implemented into agency/organization standard operating procedures.
To accomplish this, the ASCLD Forensic Research Committee and Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee have developed a web-based online survey. Among its benefits, the survey aims to provide baseline information and feedback about the extent documents included on the OSAC Registry have been implemented or are intended to be implemented into crime laboratory standard operating procedures, and to identify key challenges many laboratories face with implementation initiatives. Once this baseline is established, the ASCLD Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee will continue to evaluate the operational impact of proposed OSAC standards through Impact Surveys distributed to the ASCLD and IAI membership. These surveys provide a deeper understanding to issues surrounding implementation and will enable the ASCLD, OSAC, and IAI, to develop solutions to lower the barriers and promote greater consistency across the forensic science community.
The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is intended for forensic science professionals actively working in agencies/organizations providing forensic science services. The link to the survey is below and will close on March 31, 2020.
Take the Survey
Please click here to read an open
letter from the IAI regarding Certifications.
letter from the IAI regarding Certifications.