Federal Bureau of Investigation

Abstract This article explores the evolving role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in federal prison rehabilitation programs, particularly within the framework of the First Step Act (FSA). It addresses constitutional and legal tensions surrounding the integration of religious initiatives in correctional settings and evaluates the empirical evidence for their effectiveness. Through a discussion of correctional science principles such as the risk-needs-responsivity (RNR) model and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the article considers how faith-based programs align with or diverge from established rehabilitative practices. Emphasis is placed on the need for inclusive, evidence-informed approaches that respect both religious freedom and constitutional boundaries while supporting successful reentry and reduced recidivism.

Evaluative activity level guidance cautions DNA analysts not to respond to courtroom questions asking "how" and "when" DNA was deposited. However, criminal defendants have the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses against them. Al-Atiyyat v. State is the first U.S. case to address whether a DNA analyst's refusal to answer an activity level question violates a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confrontation. Under the circumstances described, the court ruled that it does not. This case report examines the Al-Atiyyat decision and provides a detailed description of both the trial and appellate courts' Sixth Amendment analysis, including their collective frustration with the analyst's refusal to respond to defense counsel's activity level question. That frustration is symptomatic of the tension between current scientific guidance on activity level testimony and U.S. legal standards that control such testimony-whether evaluative or informal. This case report compares existing activity level guidance with relevant case law that governs the scope of a DNA analyst's testimony. It concludes that a gap exists between current guidance and U.S. law, which considers DNA analysts both qualified to offer opinions on activity level questions and legally obligated to respond to defense questions on cross-examination. The parties should litigate anticipated activity level issues before trial, so the court can define the proper scope of anticipated questions and testimony. The U.S. forensic DNA community should publish substantive guidancefor analysts faced with activity level questions first raised during trial that considers both scientific and relevant legal principles.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Tim S. Pappa lived in and toured clusters of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) across Java, Indonesia, from September 2005 to May 2006. In West Java Pappa 'shadowed' a kyai (pesantren director), and studied regional networking; in East Java he examined internal communicative processes within a large pesantren complex. Pappa will graduate with an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from Ohio University in June 2007.

BACKGROUND: Anterior calcaneal process fractures are often overlooked on radiographs. Given a similar clinical presentation, these fractures are frequently misdiagnosed as lateral ankle sprains. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 43-year-old male was referred to physical therapy following an inversion ankle injury. Sites of interest identified on initial radiography were asymptomatic, including an os trigonum and possible dorsal talar avulsion fracture. Screening with the Ottawa ankle rules was negative. His clinical presentation was similar to an inversion ankle sprain with concordant swelling and pain. OUTCOME: Subsequent ankle imaging was completed following a lack of expected clinical progression, revealing a subtle calcaneal fracture overlooked on initial imaging. The patient was referred to orthopedics and managed in a boot with partial weight-bearing. He was released to full weight-bearing 6 weeks later with resolution of pain and gradual recovery of normalized range of motion and strength. DISCUSSION: Improving proficiency of interpreting radiograph images as physical therapists, application of the four-eyes principle when reading images, and awareness of potential fractures with negative Ottawa ankle rules screening are beneficial to early and accurate diagnosis and treatment of foot fractures. JOSPT Cases 2025;5(1):12-17. Epub 20 December 2024. doi:10.2519/josptcases.2024.0086

Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters spoke at the Rewriting the Sentence II Summit on October 17, 2023. Transcribed remarks include the Bureau of Prisons’ alignment with the criminal legal reform community in thinking differently about the experience of incarceration for individuals in custody and opportunities for reform that support positive and rehabilitative outcomes.

Anthony Vachris

The DNA Commission of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) has developed a set of nomenclature recommendations for short tandem repeat (STR) sequences. These recommendations follow the 2016 considerations of the DNA Commission of the ISFG, incorporating the knowledge gained through research and population studies in the intervening years. While maintaining a focus on backward compatibility with the CE data that currently populate national DNA databases, this report also looks to the future with the establishment of recommended minimum sequence reporting ranges to facilitate interlaboratory comparisons, automated solutions for sequence-based allele designations, a suite of resources to support bioinformatic development, guidance for characterizing new STR loci, and considerations for incorporating STR sequences and other new markers into investigative databases.