NIJ Journal Issue No. 255

A study of the effectiveness of various tools in helping jurors understand testimony on DNA evidence found that certain educational aids and note taking could improve jurors' understanding of the complexities of DNA evidence. In another article, three leading criminal justice experts offer their opinions about the features of criminal justice systems in 2040. Issues addressed are the interaction between crime countermeasures and criminal methods, the influence of technological advances, increasing diversity in countries' populations and the impact on crime, international cooperation through information technology, and the increased use of evaluative research in programming and policy decisions. A third article reports on research that found children of incarcerated mothers were not at significant risk of foster-care placement as a direct result of their mothers' incarceration. This is followed by an article that summarizes NIJ-funded research on ways to improve the detection and prosecution of abuse of the elderly through improved data on the forensic markers of maltreatment. The concluding article summarizes NIJ-funded research on prostitutes and their clients. A study of single and serial homicides of prostitutes focuses on perpetrator motives and characteristics as well as victim profiles. Other research has addressed why men seek the services of prostitutes, profiles of prostitutes' clients, and the deterrent and rehabilitative effects of arresting and providing programs for prostitutes' clients. Other material in this issue includes book summaries, a list of NIJ publications, and information on a Web cast that investigated sex trafficking in the United States.