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News

News Archives: Index

October 7, 2010: Probation Set For Industrial Action

October 5, 2010: Turning Prisoners Into Taxpayers

October 4, 2010: Murder Changes Now In Force

September 20, 2010: Probation Programmes Face Cuts

August 24, 2010: Victorian Poor Law Records Online

August 10, 2010: Justice Job Cuts

July 28, 2010: Prison Violence Growing

July 22, 2010: Police Numbers: Latest Figures

July 22, 2010: New Jurisdiction Rules

July 16, 2010: CCJS On Prison And Probation Spending Under Labour

July 15, 2010: Latest Statistics On Violent And Sexual Crime

July 15, 2010: Latest National Crime Figures

July 15, 2010: New Chief Prisons Inspector

July 14, 2010: Hard Times Ahead For Prisons: Anne Owers

July 14, 2010: Prison Does Not Work: Ken Clarke

July 13, 2010: Criminal Justice Reform: Sentencing and Rehabilitation

July 13, 2010: Criminal Justice Reform Priorities

July 12, 2010: What Price Public Protection, Asks Probation Chief Inspector

July 12, 2010: NOMS has failed, says Napo

July 10, 2010: IPCC To Investigate Death of Raoul Moat

July 9, 2010: Women In Prison: New Report

July 9, 2009: Unjust Deserts: Imprisonment for Public Protection

July 8, 2010: Police Search Powers Change

July 7, 2010: Make 'Legal High' Illegal, Says ACMD

July 2, 2010: Failing Children In Prison

July 2, 2010: Police Buried Under a Blizzard of Guidance: HMIC

July 1, 2010: Freedom To Change The Law?

June 30, 2010: A New Outlook On Penal Reform?

June 30, 2010: Revolving Door Of Offending Must Stop, Says Clarke

June 30, 2010: Ken Clarke: Speech on Criminal Justice Reform

June 29, 2010: No More Police Targets

June 26, 2010: Family Intervention Projects Questioned

June 25, 2010: Cutting Criminal Justice

June 24, 2010: Napo on Sex Offenders Report

June 23, 2010: Closing Courts: The Cuts Begin

June 23, 2010: Strategy To Tackle Gangs

June 15, 2010: Courts and Mentally Disordered Offenders

June 8, 2010: Working With Muslims in Prison

June 1, 2010: Your Chance To Nominate a QC

January 4, 2006: DNA and Crime Detection

According to the Home Office, detection of crime through DNA technology has quadrupled over the last five years. A new report, “DNA Expansion Programme 2000-2005: Reporting Achievement”, has just been published. The report demonstrates that the the DNA Expansion Programme has:

  • Trebled the number of profiles added to the database in the last five years compared with the five years to 2000. This has increased the number of profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) to reach a target of 2.5 million individuals by March 2004 and now holds over 3 million.
  • Funded an additional 600 crime scene staff, and made significant improvements to crime scene attendance rates.
  • Resulted in a 74% rise in the number of crimes where potential DNA material is collected.
  • Doubled the number of crimes for which a crime scene profile was loaded on the NDNAD, leading to a significant increase in suspect-to-scene DNA matches.
  • Produced a 75% increase in the number of DNA suspect-to-scene matches.
  • Enhanced the ability of the police to detect serious crime - providing them with around 3000 matches a month.

New powers to take and retain DNA samples and fingerprints from all persons arrested for a recordable offence were introduced through an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 in April 2004. More information on the DNA database is available from the Forensic Science Service.

Home Office Minister Andy Burnham stated:

“The UK is a world leader in the use of DNA to detect crime and this report demonstrates the success of the DNA Expansion Programme since its inception in 2000."

“As well as enhancing the ability of the police to detect serious crime - providing them with around 3000 matches a month - the Government’s significant investment of £241 million and the commitment to increase the number of profiles on the NDNAD has enabled the police to make greater use of ever-improving DNA technology at crime scenes."