How are the rapidly expanding genetic databases within our criminal justice systems transforming fundamental concepts of criminality and human identity? In her recent book, Genetics and the Politics of Security: A Social Science Perspective, Joëlle Vailly, Member (2019–20) in the School of Social Science, analyzes how DNA functions as both a surveillance tool and a mirror reflecting broader societal developments. She explores how the increasing dependence of law enforcement agencies on genetic data for suspect identification has brought questions about the proper balance between individual rights and public security to the fore. These concerns extend to practices such as phenotyping (a method for predicting an individual’s physical appearance from their DNA), which may unfairly stigmatize certain communities, as well as debates around appropriate retention periods for sensitive genetic information.
