Press Releases
UNDER SECRETARY LAWLOR ON ACCREDITATION OF THE DIVISION OF SCIENTIFIC SERVICES FORENSIC LAB
(HARTFORD, CT) - Michael P. Lawlor, Undersecretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning at the Office of Policy and Management, today released a statement about the expiration of accreditation for the Division of Scientific Services Forensic Lab. Last week, Governor Dannel P. Malloy created a working group comprised of experts in the field to propose a short- and long-term solution to issues identified in recent audits.
"The accreditation for the Division of Scientific Services Forensic Lab expired effective today. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board declined to extend the lab's accreditation due to recent preliminary findings in two July audits. A re-inspection is tentatively scheduled for September 12, 2011. The lab has responded to each of the items of concern in the July audits and is actively working with the ASCLD. I am very confident that the upcoming assessment will result in a restoration of full accreditation.
"It's important to note that there is no indication that this will affect pending cases between now and September 12. The issues raised in the audits do not directly affect testing in criminal prosecutions.
"Governor Malloy created a working group and tasked a number of experts in the field to assist with this effort and I fully expect that we will once again have the finest crime lab in the nation. In meantime, we are fully committed to addressing the staffing-related and administrative issues identified in the recent audits. The working group is already reviewing documents related to this issue and additional reports will be available to the working group in the next few days. An initial meeting will take place once all of the documents have been assembled and I expect the group's proposal to be sent to the Governor by January 1, 2012."
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For Immediate Release: August 17, 2011
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