Criminal justice

The forensic scientist’s toolbox is growing thanks to creative methods that generate reliable leads, analyze evidence, identify suspects and solve cold cases

The COVID pandemic and the police murder of George Floyd polarized views on policing. Rather than abolishing policing or maintaining its status quo, we need to make it better and more focused

U.S. police embraced frequent “consent” searches of motorists during the “tough on crime” era. These searches, meant to sidestep privacy rights, are both racially misapplied and ineffective

U.S. elected officials must protect public health and the foundations of our democracy by limiting the intrusion of guns into politics

Michael Mann secured a win in his legal battle against conservative bloggers who said the climatologist “molested and tortured data” and compared him to a convicted child abuser

Researchers have a clearer picture than ever before of how common conditions that involve aggressive behavior emerge and how treatment can help

More people are using doorbell cameras and sharing the footage with the police, but there are few data showing their effectiveness

Science, statistics and expert testimony are crucial in securing justice. But their dubious applications in the courtroom can send innocent people to jail 

Despite criticism, a slate of new scientific studies show that forensic firearms analysis is a reliable scientific discipline that the criminal justice system should trust

Every year about 1,000 human remains go unidentified in the U.S. New genetic technology can give them names and return them to their families

Science plays an enormous unseen role in keeping international avenues of contact open, even when political doors slam shut. We need to keep those channels open with China

The pandemic provided a natural experiment, one that suggests fewer people in jail does not lead to more crime