Frequently Asked Questions

Information on required qualifications, education and training for careers in forensic science can be found from:

• The National Institute of Justice Special Report Education and Training in Forensic Science: A Guide for Forensic Science Laboratories, Educational Institutions, and Students.
• The Choosing a Career section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences website provides information about the different types of forensic scientists, salaries, and educational requirements.
• The U.S. Department of Labor resource, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Forensic Science Technicians.

You may also be interested in viewing A Simplified Guide to Forensic Science, a website created by the National Forensic Science Technology Center. This website covers the core concepts, capabilities and limitations of key forensic science disciplines.

You can report the sale of drugs on the Internet or emails advertising the sale of drugs to the following agencies:

• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Division
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (for prescription drugs)

Additionally, the DEA has a toll-free international hotline to report the illegal sale and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs: 1-877-RxAbuse (1-877-792-2873).

Finally, you may also anonymously report drug activity to the DEA via the DEA's Submit a Tip website.

Information about forensic computer investigations can be found on the Digital Evidence and Forensics section of the National Institute of Justice site. This page contains general information about the topic and also provides access to publications and guides that have been developed for those involved in such investigations.

Access the Wrongful Convictions section of the National Institute of Justice website for information and resources.

Information about mental health courts is available on the following websites:

• Bureau of Justice Assistance: Mental Health Courts Program
• Council of State Governments: Mental Health
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation

Statistics on internet fraud (as well as other crimes committed using the internet) can be found in the Annual Reports produced by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Data on federal drug offenders sentenced to prison are available in the Federal Justice Statistics Series of reports from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Also see the Research section of the U.S. Sentencing Commission website for additional federal sentencing data.

The following resources from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) contain information on truancy prevention:

• OJJDP Model Programs Guide: Truancy/Unexcused Absences
• Model Programs Guide Literature Review: Truancy Prevention
• Truancy Reduction: Keeping Students in School
• Tool Kit for Creating Your Own Truancy Reduction Program

For information on how the needs of youth with education-related disabilities impact the juvenile justice system, review these Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and OJJDP-sponsored publications:

• Model Programs Guide Literature Review: Youths with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System
• Functional Impairment of Delinquent Youth
• Seven Things Juvenile Courts Should Know About Learning Disabilities
• Special Education and the Juvenile Justice System

The National Institute of Justice's CrimeSolutions website provides results of rigorous research to inform practitioners and policy makers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.

Go to CrimeSolutions to find:

• Research on the effectiveness of programs and practices as reviewed by CrimeSolutions.gov researchers and reviewers
• Easily understandable ratings (Effective, Promising, No Effects) based on the evidence that indicates whether a program or practice achieves its goals
• Key program and practice information and research findings

For youth programs, see the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Program Guide.