Criminal genomic pragmatism: prisoners’ representations of DNA technology and biosecurity

Background. Within the context of the use of DNA technology in crime investigation, biosecurity is perceived by different stakeholders according to their particular rationalities and interests. Very little is known about prisoners’ perceptions and assessments of the uses of DNA technology in solving crime. Aim. To propose a conceptual model that serves to analyse and interpret prisoners’ representations of DNA technology and biosecurity. Methods. A qualitative study using an interpretative approach based on 31 semi-structured tape-recorded interviews was carried out between May and September 2009, involving male inmates in three prisons located in the north of Portugal. The content analysis focused on the following topics: the meanings attributed to DNA and assessments of the risks and benefits of the uses of DNA technology and databasing in forensic applications. Results. DNA was described as a record of identity, an exceptional material, and a powerful biometric identifier. The interviewees believed that DNA can be planted to incriminate suspects. Convicted offenders argued for the need to extend the criteria for the inclusion of DNA profiles in forensic databases and to restrict the removal of profiles. Conclusions. The conceptual model entitled criminal genomic pragmatism allows for an understanding of the views of prison inmates regarding DNA technology and biosecurity.The authors would like to thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science) for financing this research through a postdoctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/34143/2006) and the "Forensic DNA databasing in Portugal: Contemporary issues in ethics, practices and policy" project (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009231). They are grateful for the insightful and helpful comments of Barbara Prainsack and Manuela Cunha, who provided valuable feedback and guidance throughout the research and in the interpretation of some of the data. They would also like to thank the General Board of Prison Services (Portugal) for their support and Diana Miranda and Filipe Santos for their collaboration in the field work

Confiança, voluntariedade e supressão dos riscos: expectativas, incertezas e governação das aplicações forenses de informação genética

Neste capítulo procedemos a uma análise do projecto sócio-genético presente no texto da Lei n.º5/2008 que regula a criação e funcionamento de uma base de dados de perfis de ADN com intuitos de identificação civil e criminal em Portugal, procurando mapear algumas modalidades de representação da ciência e dos seus usos, no sentido das múltiplas identidades, tendências e potencial que o ADN pode assumir. Deste modo, delineamos algumas dimensões das actuais relações de poder e interacções presentes nas instituições e actores do sistema científico pericial forense e do sistema de Justiça e de investigação criminal no nosso país e de que modo se inter-relacionam e hierarquizam as agendas de diferentes grupos sociais.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - projectos de investigação: «Bases de dados genéticos com propósitos forenses em Portugal: percursos, actores e discursos», bolsa de pós--doutoramento SFRH/BPD/34143/2006, SFRH/BD/10396/2002Instituto de Ciências Sociai

Issues on methods of identification in court ordered paternity testing : the case of Portugal

Special issue of Journal of Forensic Research "Forensic Medicine"Official technical and scientific recommendations on standard procedures and quality control in the field of testing of paternity do not cover issues relating to methods of subjects’ identification in the processing of paternity investigations that are compulsory for the individuals – parental testing ordered by courts. The aim of this paper is to explore the main issues posed to forensic laboratories when collecting samples for court ordered paternity investigation and therefore contribute to the ongoing debate on social and ethical implications of parental testing and open up new dimensions of this practice. The data was collected from a qualitative study carried out in forensic laboratories in Portugal, based on interviews conducted with forensic experts. The methods for identifying individuals during sample collection are unspecified and heterogeneous and raise several concerns that need to be addressed by common recommendations and an ethically informed code of conduct. Our results indicate that it is needed to start an interdisciplinary discussion about subjects’ identification in that context. These practices demand a more effective coordination between courts of law and forensic laboratories and national guidelines for good practices in the case of paternity testing in judicial proceedings

A ciência na luta contra o crime: potencialidade e limites

Partindo de um conjunto de reflexões desenvolvidas por especialistas e académicos de diferentes áreas disciplinares – da genética forense, ciências policiais, direito, sociologia, antropologia e psicologia forense – que espelham saberes e práticas de diferentes áreas de conhecimento e de atuação profissional, este livro procura responder à questão: Quais as potencialidades e os limites da ciência e da tecnologia no combate ao crime? Os olhares heterogéneos e interdisciplinares condensados nesta publicação apontam para algumas convergências, nomeadamente, o reconhecimento do elevado potencial da ciência e da tecnologia para a investigação criminal. Contudo, são igualmente identificados os principais obstáculos colocados nas práticas de terreno da investigação de criminal: a legislação que dificulta a agilização de processos de investigação e acesso à informação; as divergências na interpretação da lei; os fatores que dificultam a recolha e preservação de elementos de prova; a burocracia que fragiliza a eficiência dos procedimentos; as fragilidades da formação técnica na área da ciência e tecnologias forenses de vários atores do sistema judiciário

GResilient index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive supply chain

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest an Index entitled GResilient Index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive companies and corresponding supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: An integrated assessment model is proposed based on Green and Resilient practices. These practices are weighted according to their importance to the automotive supply chain competitiveness. The Delphi technique is used to obtain the weights for the focused supply chain paradigms and corresponding practices. The model is then tested using a case study approach in the automotive supply chain. Findings: The case study results confirmed the applicability of this Index in a real-world supply chain. The results show that the Resilient supply chain management paradigm is the one considered as the one that more contributes for the automotive supply chain competitiveness. Research limitations/implications: The proposed Index was developed in the automotive sector context therefore it could not be adjusted to a different one. Future research could consider other aggregation methods for the Index construction. Practical implications: Supply chain participants will be able to evaluate the performance of their companies or supply chain in terms of Green and Resilient paradigms. Also, the Index can be effectively employed for functional benchmarking among competing companies and supply chains.Green; resilient; supply chain management; index; automotive industry