Genetics and the Politics of Security: A Social Science Perspective (Routledge Frontiers of Criminal Justice)

Presenting a social science perspective on the contemporary gaze on the body of the suspect, this book considers how definitions of criminality, offenses, individual rights, and the concepts of identity and difference have been altered by changes in the biological status of the human. Spurred by rapid developments in genetics and information technology, a number of countries, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and the Netherlands, have considerably expanded their genetic databases used by the police and the criminal justice system. Whilst this makes it possible to compare DNA left at the scene of a crime with that of an individual known to the police, helping to identify individuals for the purposes of court proceedings, these innovations also raise a number of important questions, such as how the relationship between respect for the rights of individuals and the security of populations is discussed, as well as for how long this data should be retained. Genetic analysis also raises concerns related to phenotyping and “biogeographical origin” that could lead to the stigmatization of targeted groups. Offering a comprehensively argued view on how DNA acts not only as a tracker of suspicion but also as a marker of contemporary social developments, Genetics and the Politics of Security will appeal to students and scholars, judiciary personnel, lawyers, police officers, and people with an interest in criminology and the use of genetics in the criminal justice process. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Identity and profiling in the 21st century At the intersection of major changes Analytical framework The birth of a genetics policy Outline of the study PART 1: Police rationales and attitudes toward genetic databases 1. Genetic profiling as the extension of suspicion New technologies, new legislation Between perpetrator and suspect, a porosity of categories Police rationales and institutional configurations International insights 2. Resistance to the genetic database International reception of genetic databases Large-scale profiling Effects of jurisdiction Effects of veridiction PART 2: Predicting the appearance of suspects 3. The problem of suspects’ origin Socio-historical context The production of categories and the deconstruction of problematization (2006–2007) The problematization expressed (2007–2008) Regulation of tests of origin (2008–2014 4. The acceptability of suspect appearance tests Privacy: a political issue Between secrecy and a vector of equality The norm defined in terms of the visible: unanswered questions Communicating information about origin PART 3: Genetic suspects: new frontiers 5. DNA evidence and its new regimes of practice Evidence and truth through genetics A piece of evidence The fallibility of DNA evidence New uses of genetic evidence 6. Tracking suspects through Europe Continent-wide identification of suspects The police’s dominant role Putting together substantial case files: from minor offense to major crime Locating individuals: mobility and alterity Conclusion Securitarian justice, police-based security No opposition from the majority of the population From surveillance to capture Toward a new role for judges? Index