Just Science is a podcast for justice professionals and anyone interested in learning more about forensic science, innovative technology, current research, and actionable strategies to improve the criminal justice system. This podcast deals with a range of issues, including human trafficking, firearms, policing, leadership in the crime lab, new technologies, sexual assault response, and broader challenges for science and public security. We cover various types of topics across RTI's Justice Practice Area.
Some seasons of Just Science were developed by RTI International's Justice Practice Area through various funding sources. Please visit the individual episode to learn more about its funding.
Just the Cost of Speaking Up: Why Victims and Witnesses Stay Silent
In this special release episode, Just Science sat down with Stacy Sechrist, community violence researcher at RTI International, Jesse Brey, criminal justice researcher and PhD student at Temple University, and Harrod Emmanuel Clay Jr., pastor and community-based advocate, to discuss findings from RTI’s Victim and Witness Participation research project, which is supported by the philanthropy Arnold Ventures.
For individuals who have experienced or witnessed severe community violence, there is often hesitation to report the crime, participate in law enforcement interviews, or engage in court proceedings. To better understand these barriers, community violence researchers at RTI International and Temple University conducted interviews with individuals who had recently experienced incidents of severe community violence, and found that fear of retaliation, concerns about social consequences, and poor communication from law enforcement are among the most significant obstacles to victim and witness engagement in the criminal legal system. Listen along as Stacy, Jesse, and Pastor Clay describe the importance of giving victims and witnesses a voice after violent crime, common themes found across the research interviews, and important considerations for improving the legal system’s response to victim and witness participation.
This episode is funded by RTI International’s Justice Practice Area.
17 Apr 2025
Just Improving Sexual Assault Kit Testing Workflows
In episode one of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month season, Just Science sat down with Jody West, the Forensic Science Manager for the Forensic Biology Section at the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory, and Dr. Patricia Melton, a Senior Research Forensic Social Scientist at RTI International, to discuss resources aimed to help forensic science service providers (FSSPs) increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of sexual assault kit testing. Among FSSPs, there is variability in how they approach testing sexual assault kits; some conduct serology testing of samples before moving to DNA testing, while others forego initial serology testing for a Direct-to-DNA approach. Because each processing workflow has distinct costs and benefits, the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) has developed a no-cost tool that helps FSSPs decide on, and advocate for, an approach that is efficient and feasible considering their available resources and needs. Listen along as Jody and Dr. Melton describe the varied approaches to processing workflows in the field, the challenges that FSSPs face when transitioning from one workflow to another, and how the FTCOE’s Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Labor Expenditure Associated With Sexual Assault Kit Processing Workflows can foster important conversations about improving sexual assault kit testing workflows.
This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU).
20 Feb 2025
Just Advancements in Death Investigation Practices
In this special release episode, Just Science sat down with Chuck Heurich, Senior Physical Scientist with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and Dr. Jennifer Snippen, experienced medicolegal death investigator and consultant, to discuss recent updates to NIJ’s Guide for the Death Scene Investigator. Twenty-five years ago, NIJ released a guide to help medicolegal death investigators navigate complex scenes and cases; a document that has since evolved with the development of best practices and technological advancements. In 2024, a new version was released after a multi-disciplinary group of experts collaborated to make four major changes, including updates to documentation for death notifications to the office, procedures for child death investigations, partnering with law enforcement, and more. Listen along as Chuck and Dr. Snippen describe why the Death Investigation Guide was developed, how the newest updates came to be, and implications for day-to-day operations for medicolegal death investigators.
This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU).
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
45 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
11 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
92
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