 DNA Labs International is accredited by Forensic Quality Services - International (FQS-I), the country’s longest established provider of ISO accreditation to Forensic Sciences testing laboratories in the US. The FQS-I inspects U.S. laboratories for adherence to standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the DNA Advisory Board (established by the Director of the FBI).
DNA Labs International complies with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and Forensic Requirements for Accreditation (FRA 1 and FRA 2).
Texas DPS Accreditation
The Texas Department of Public Safety is an agency of this state created to provide public safety services to those people in the state of Texas by enforcing laws, administering regulatory programs, managing records, educating the public, and managing emergencies, both directly and through interaction with other agencies.
This accreditation is a requirement for the admission of the forensic analysis of physical evidence and expert testimony relating to the evidence in a criminal case in the state of Texas3
Laboratory Accreditation: 1
- Provides formal recognition to laboratories that demonstrate technical competency
- Maintains this recognition through periodic evaluations to ensure continued compliance with requirements;
- Provides laboratories with the opportunity to determine whether work is performed correctly and to appropriate standards;
- Identifies areas for improvement through discussion and detailed reporting;
- Monitors areas for improvement through follow-up action
ISO 17025 Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories are required of all labs testing criminal evidence in order for crime labs to upload the profiles into the FBI national DNA database (CODIS)
CODIS, the FBI Laboratory's Combined DNA Index System combines forensic science and computer technology into a tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.
CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three hierarchical levels (or tiers) - local, state, and national. NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS hierarchy, and enables the laboratories participating in the CODIS Program to exchange and compare DNA profiles on a national level.
As of October 2007 the profile composition of the National DNA Index System (NDIS) is as follows:
Total number of profiles: 5,265,258
Total Forensic profiles: 194,785
Total Convicted Offender profiles: 5,070,473
For more information on CODIS please visit http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/codis/index1.htm
1 Source: Forensic Quality Services
2 Source: www.fbi.gov
3 Source: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us
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