Analysis Of The Washing Away Of Wrongs By Song Chi

The advancements of forensic technology has hit important milestones dating back to the mid thirteenth century, leading up to present day. In 1248, a book called The Washing Away of Wrongs by Song Chi, was the first written evidence of forensic science being used. Chi’s book focused on the difference between victims who greeted death by strangulation and death by drowning. His book also assisted in the identification of the two types of death, by learning the physical attributes of the body of the deceased. Fingerprint identification techniques began in 1880, after two Englishmen published an article entitled Nature that explored and described the uniqueness of fingerprints and how no two are alike (Kaelin). However, how did forensic investigators

As years passed, camcorders made their appearance, and even later down the road personal computers and digital cameras were created. This allowed police departments to transfer images immediately back and forth so other officers could begin their investigations. One of the most important changes has to do with the computer. Personal computers are so common these days that it is easy to forget that they are relatively new tool. In the seventies, the only computers were mainframes. There were no programs out there. If you wanted a program you had to find someone to write it for you. As a result, these computers were not practical for everyday use. Instead, officers did all their reports by hand or on a typewriter. Presentations of evidence for court were also done manually. With the PC and its existing programs, officers’ jobs instantly became much easier. Today, everything is documented on a digital interface—the evidence room is completely computerized, making it easier to track things for court. The ability to make PowerPoint presentations was easier for a court room setting. And three-dimensional programs made it east to create crime scene

By entering the latex prints for cases into a database and then requesting a match on a certain set, the program would run through all fingerprints logged into the system until hitting a match. Additionally, this program also links crimes together if the prints belong to the same individual. The most dramatic change in crime scene investigation and forensic lab technicians is in the modern day DNA capabilities. In the seventies, investigators and forensic analysts would collect blood, hair, and other sources of evidence with the technology and procedures available, which were poor due to lack of technology. When DNA first became available, the collected evidence pertaining to such (blood, semen, hair) was sent to DNA labs but the technology was inadequate, and required more substantial amounts in order to run such diagnosis. Now, with the right technology, DNA can even be extracted from a parents and be matched with the DNA from a son or daughter. Once DNA evidence is collected it can entered into a program of support for criminal justice DNA databases called CODIS and look for matches through this program