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HOUSE RESOLUTION 451


 

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    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Police Division of Forensic

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Services oversees the third largest system of crime

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laboratories in the world, consisting of 9 forensic

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laboratories providing services to all of the approximately

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1,000 law enforcement agencies in Illinois; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Accurate forensic laboratory work is critical to

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establishing the scientific truth of evidence at issue in many

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criminal cases and erroneous analysis, imprecise laboratory

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practices and questionable science can lead to the conviction

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of innocent defendants and the exoneration of guilty ones; and
 

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    WHEREAS, In Fiscal Year 2007 more than $63 million was

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appropriated for Forensic Services, including increased funds

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for DNA analysis and capital funds to expand the Chicago

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Forensic Laboratory; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Past sizeable backlogs in DNA testing and State

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outsourcing to a laboratory reporting a high number of false

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negatives have raised questions about the timeliness and

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integrity of results reported by various forensic

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laboratories; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Public Act 93-784, effective January 1, 2005,

 

 

 

 

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established an Illinois Laboratory Advisory Committee to,

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among other things, make recommendations regarding

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accreditation and quality assurance as it applies to laboratory

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testing that will be in compliance with recognized

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International Organization for Standardization and applicable

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professional standards and to examine ways to reduce laboratory

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backlogs; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Illinois State Police's forensic laboratories are

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accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory

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Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB); and
 

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    WHEREAS, According to its web site, ASCLD/LAB is a sort of

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"peer accreditation" program managed by a paid staff working

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under the direction of a Board of Directors who are elected by

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a Delegate Assembly composed of the directors of all accredited

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laboratories and laboratory systems; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Also according to ASCLD/LAB's web site,

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accreditation is just "one part of a laboratory's quality

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assurance program which should also include proficiency

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testing, continuing education, and other programs to help the

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laboratory provide better overall service to the criminal

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justice system"; therefore, be it
 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

 

 

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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

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the Auditor General is directed to conduct a management and

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program audit of the Department of State Police's (ISP)

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Division of Forensic Services; and be it further
 

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    RESOLVED, That the audit include, but need not be limited

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to, the following determinations:

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        (1) whether the current funding of the ISP forensic

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    laboratories is sufficient, and if not, what funding the

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    General Assembly must appropriate to meet their needs;

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        (2) whether current staffing levels are sufficient;

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        (3) whether ISP's policies, procedures, and protocols

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    for operating its forensic laboratories are appropriate

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    and conform to professional standards;

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        (4) the extent to which ISP has addressed past problems

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    of testing backlogs;

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        (5) if ISP outsources any of its forensic laboratory

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    testing, the process for selecting and monitoring those

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    contractors;

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        (6) the adequacy of ISP's quality control processes,

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    particularly with regard to ensuring the integrity of test

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    results produced by or on behalf of ISP's forensic services

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    division, including but not limited to the accreditation

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    process;

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        (7) the process in place at ISP to respond to questions

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    or concerns raised about the adequacy and/or accuracy of

 

 

 

 

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    results produced by ISP forensic laboratories and forensic

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    laboratories under contract with ISP;

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        (8) the party or parties responsible for conducting

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    investigations of allegations against forensic scientists

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    employed or contracted by ISP and whether those persons are

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    independent of the subject or subjects of the investigation

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    and whether those persons comply with requirements set

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    forth in the Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant

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    Program;

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        (9) the process for conducting investigations and

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    whether that process is adequate;

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        (10) the process for disclosing identified problems

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    with the conduct of ISP's forensic laboratories or with the

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    results reported by any of those laboratories to interested

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    parties;

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        (11) the practice of contracting out forensic testing

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    to private laboratories for pending cases in the criminal

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    courts, and the reasoning for such practice;

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        (12) the name and address of each private laboratory

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    contracted by the Illinois State Police for forensic

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    testing for the years 2000 to the present; and

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        (13) whether any private forensic laboratories which

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    are ASCLD or ISO accredited exist in Illinois; and be it

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    further
 

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    RESOLVED, That the Illinois State Police, its contractors

 

 

 

 

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and subcontractors, and any other entity or person that may

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have information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and

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promptly with the Auditor General's Office in the conduct of

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this audit; and be it further
 

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     RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as

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soon as possible and distribute the report upon completion in

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accordance with Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing

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Act.