Abstract:
Biometric criminal identification programs, while popularly thought to be for forensic investigation, were created to support accurate criminal record keeping and the administration of justice. This remains the primary purpose of today. The need for such records arose from a shift in the philosophy of punishment from classical to reformist jurisprudence, coupled with individual mobility and urbanization. This presentation will address the main FBI biometric modalities, primarily focusing upon fingerprints and DNA, offering some suggestions to the researcher interested in public safety applications of biometrics. Four successive waves of FBI technology insertion to improve fingerprint identification as processes evolved from entirely manual to primarily "lights out" automation will be addressed. The ongoing evolution of known subject DNA analysis from the laboratory setting to the point of collection will also be examined.

Biography:
James Loudermilk is the Senior Level Technologist for the FBI Science and Technology Branch. He focuses upon identification issues, especially biometrics, and frequently represents the FBI on these topics. He recently served as the Department of Justice co-chair of the Biometrics and Identity Management Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council. He continues to co-chair the interagency working group that has replaced the NSTC subcommittee. He is a member of the FBI Biometric Steering Committee and Institutional Review Board. He previously was chief engineer and deputy program manager for the $640 million Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), which includes the national criminal history and fingerprint check systems. He also led the development of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and call center which supports purchase eligibility checks for firearms and explosives. He has also served as FBI Chief IT Architect, Chief IT Strategist, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, and Assistant Director of the IT Operations Division. Before entering the civil service, Mr. Loudermilk was in the private sector for over twenty years, holding various executive positions, in system engineering, software development, program management, logistics, and was a divisional CIO. Loudermilk holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics from the University of Dayton and the Degree of Applied Scientist, in Communications Engineering, from the George Washington University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Host:
Dr. Arun Ross