The genetic imaginary

About this book

"DNA testing and banking have become institutionalized in the Canadian criminal justice system. Their widespread use has been accepted with little critique or debate in a broad public forum on the potential infringement of individual rights and civil liberties. Neil Gerlach's The Genetic Imaginary addresses this deficiency, critically examining the social, legal, and criminal justice origins and effects of DNA testing and banking. Drawing on risk analysis, Gerlach explains why Canadians have accepted DNA technology with barely a ripple of public outcry." "Re-examining promises of better crime control and protections for existing privacy rights, Gerlach analyses police practices, courtroom decisions, and the changing role of scientific expertise in legal decision making and finds that DNA testing and banking have indeed led to a measurable erosion of individual rights. Biogovernance and the biotechnology of surveillance almost inevitably lead to the empowerment of state agent control and away from due process and legal protection. The Genetic Imaginary demonstrates that the overall effect of these changes to the criminal justice system has been to emphasize the importance of community security at the expense of individual rights."--Jacket.