Why is the practice of scientific research valuable to the practice of criminal justice? Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology

Take DNA research and evidence as an example.  Technology
has so greatly improved in this area that it helps to create a more efficient and
accurate criminal justice system.  One might say it puts the "justice" in criminal
justice.  DNA extraction is a much more reliable, consistent process, allowing
investigators to obtain DNA samples more often and more completely.  This both helps to
secure a conviction, as it is typically very convincing evidence, and it helps to avoid
wrongly convicting others based on circumstantial instead of physical evidence.  It has
also helped to free dozens of people from prison who were wrongly convicted, once that
technology improved to the point where a more accurate sample could be
obtained.

We can add to this example new methods of
preservation of evidence, more modern scientific methods of processing crime scenes, and
laser and spectrometer analysis research that allows us to more accurately measure
anything from ballistics to fiber evidence.

Based on all of
this, I'd say scientific research plays a giant role in improving criminal
justice.