New Report Reveals Evidence Handlers’ Common Practices, Makes Recommendations

In 2021 a committee established by NIST and NIJ surveyed evidence handlers to identify best practices in retention, preservation, integrity, and disposition of evidence and property. Results of that survey have been published. In the main report, the evidence management lifecycle is considered alongside survey results and key takeaways.¹ A second report contains the statistical analysis of the survey responses.² A third document is an expanded bibliography of research literature considered by the committee.³ The survey data itself is also published.⁴

The process for managing evidence — from its recognition and collection to intake and final disposition — can be complex. The chain of custody must be maintained, which in turn ensures the integrity of items that are collected, analyzed, and potentially introduced into legal proceedings. Property and evidence rooms in law enforcement agencies are the primary site for control of evidence, but the survey showed that practices within law enforcement evidence rooms vary. Some examples of this variability include the use of manual tracking of items by some agencies and digital tracking by others, differing approaches to policy development and execution, and differing personnel requirements for formal education and specialized job-related training. This variability was especially noted for evidence handlers working in healthcare and courtroom environments.

The Evidence Management Steering Committee acknowledged that law enforcement executives (e.g., chiefs of police, sheriffs, crime laboratory directors) and other managers tailor their evidence management processes to the specific needs of their organization in consideration of applicable federal, state, and local statutes, regulations, and policies. However, written policies and procedures that are based on standards are critical for ensuring consistent practice across jurisdictions. Where standards for evidence management exist, the committee recommended that managers work to implement these standards and provide clear and consistent guidance to evidence handlers and other stakeholders. Where standards do not currently exist, the evidence management community should work to develop them. The committee recommended that the evidence-handling community establish standardized classification systems to guide packaging, storage, and management of common evidentiary items to promote appropriate and consistent preservation throughout an item’s lifecycle and improve cross-jurisdictional communication.

Additionally, the committee recommended that managers in organizations that handle and store evidence implement a quality management system that requires routine audits to evaluate evidence management practices and procedures. As part of the management system, technological tools can be used to identify, develop, and track key performance indicators (KPIs) which in turn can be used to evaluate and improve upon policies and procedures in a cyclical manner. When considering changes to processes, managers and decision makers should consider the impact on all functions within the organization, not only the impact to evidence handling.

In response to the Justice for All Reauthorization Act, NIST and NIJ formed the Evidence Management Steering Committee to make recommendations for handling evidence and property and to encourage the adoption of practice improvements through education and engagement. With documentation of procedures and practices and increased standardization, the integrity of evidence can be better assured across organizations and jurisdictions, thus ensuring equal treatment across the U.S. justice system.

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¹ NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Steering Committee (2025) Evidence Management Steering Committee Report: Opportunities to Strengthen Evidence Management Processes. (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD), NIST Special Publication (SP) 1500-33A. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1500-33A

² NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Steering Committee (2025) Evidence Management Steering Committee Report: Results of the 2021 National Evidence Handlers Survey. (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD), NIST Special Publication (SP) 1500-33B. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1500-33B

³ NIST/NIJ Evidence Management Steering Committee (2025) Evidence Management Steering Committee Report: Expanded Bibliography. (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD), NIST Special Publication (SP) 1500-33C. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1500-33C

⁴ Evidence Management Steering Committee, NIST/NIJ (2025), Evidence Management Steering Committee Report: Data, National Institute of Standards and Technology, https://doi.org/10.18434/mds2-3834