Rogue DNA databases operate outside of the law

Forensic labs in at least five states maintain their own databases that aren’t controlled by any laws and don’t meet the standards of the FBI’s DNA database. California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri and New York store DNA profiles that are ineligible for CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) – the database managed by the FBI and authorized under federal law.

"They're rogue databases that operate without the public's knowledge and without the security and privacy considerations of the government databases," says Stephen Saloom, the Innocence Project's policy director. "This is an issue the public ought to decide."

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. (USA Today, 3/26/07)

Read more about DNA privacy issues.

Many states – and the federal government – are working to expand their DNA databases despite staggering backlogs in labs.

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