The decriminalization of suicide under Section 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017 marked a paradigm shift in India, reframing suicide attempts as manifestations of severe stress requiring care rather than punishment. However, gaps in clinician awareness and ambiguity regarding medico-legal responsibilities may hinder effective implementation of the law in clinical settings. This study aimed to assess non-psychiatric clinicians' awareness and attitudes regarding the decriminalization of suicide under the MHCA, 2017, and to explore potential implementation gaps. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 134 clinicians from non-psychiatric departments at a tertiary-care center in central India. A structured, self-administered questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, awareness of legal provisions related to decriminalization, and attitudes toward its impact on stigma, help-seeking, and clinical practice. Descriptive statistics were computed, and subgroup comparisons based on years of clinical experience (≤1 year vs. >1 year) were performed using the chi-square test. Most clinicians were aware that suicide has been decriminalized in India (76.1%) and that individuals attempting suicide are presumed to be under severe stress (84.3%). Nearly four-fifths (79.1%) recognized the government's obligation to provide care and rehabilitation. However, 80.6% believed that reporting suicide attempts to legal authorities remains mandatory, and only 51.5% were aware of professional immunity from civil or criminal liability. Attitudes toward decriminalization were largely positive: 55.2% agreed that it reduces stigma, 56.8% felt it encourages help-seeking, and 88.8% reported a greater likelihood of psychiatric referral following decriminalization. Subgroup analysis did not reveal significant differences across experience levels. Non-psychiatric clinicians demonstrated generally favorable awareness and supportive attitudes toward the decriminalization of suicide. However, persistent misconceptions regarding medico-legal obligations suggest an implementation gap. Targeted training, legal-literacy initiatives, and clear institutional protocols are needed to ensure consistent, rights-based care in alignment with the MHCA 2017.
People living with dementia (PLWD) may experience symptoms and behaviors that increase the risk of contact with the criminal legal system as arrestees. This manuscript aims to evaluate the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) as a mechanism of reducing exposure to the criminal system for PLWD. A secondary analysis of two complementary semi-structured interview studies of legal professionals (study 1) and caregivers of persons affected by frontotemporal dementia (study 2). Both studies collected insights and experiences with dementia-related behavior increasing the risk of contact or as the focus of a criminal charge, arrest, or incarceration. We applied the Framework Method to code, chart, and identify overlapping themes between studies. We compared overlapping themes to the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM)for applicability to PLWD. Thirteen caregivers and fifteen legal practitioners completed interviews across two studies. We observed (1) caregiver interventions and use of pre-crisis resources as key to PLWD avoiding criminal involvement(2) caregivers may not perceive symptoms and behaviors as posing a criminal risk. The SIM lacks pre-crisis resources to reduce risks for criminal-system interaction for PLWD. We propose an adapted model, the Modified Sequential Intercept Model for People Living with Dementia (SIM-D), to integrate 'pre-crisis community resources' and 'crisis' stages. We propose SIM-D as a tool to bridge research on PLWD in the community and the justice system. This research will be central to advancing policy and support resources that can mitigate negative consequences of PLWD's exposure to the criminal system.
There is a dearth of data on "successful" criminal offenders who escape detection and no research on emotion processes characterizing this group. This study examines whether autonomic fear conditioning at age 3 years is associated with adult successful and unsuccessful (caught) criminal offending. Participants (N = 940) were drawn from a birth cohort on the island of Mauritius. Autonomic fear conditioning was assessed at age 3, with skin conductance recorded to reinforced (CS+) and unreinforced (CS-) auditory stimuli. Self-report criminal offending was assessed at age 39. Offenders were divided into successful and unsuccessful groups based on detection/conviction at ages 23 and 39 and compared with noncriminal controls. There was a significant Group × Conditional Stimulus interaction (p = .019). A breakdown of this interaction indicated that successful criminals showed significantly greater responding to the CS+ than both unsuccessful criminals (p = .003) and controls (p < .001), with no group differences on CS-, indicating superior conditioning in successful criminals. Three sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. We hypothesize that enhanced fear conditioning in successful offenders results in an enhanced ability to detect environmental cues associated with punishment, resulting in escape from law enforcement agencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The growth of the US criminal legal system has broad implications for individual and societal economic and social well-being. Although this system primarily targets adults, children may experience adverse consequences from the criminal legal contacts (CLCs) of their parents and other family members. To examine the prevalence of children's family member CLCs within the past year and past 5 years and how prevalence varied across relationship type, child age, and cohort period. This cross-sectional study created 2 samples (a courts sample and an incarceration sample) using secure criminal legal system records from 24 states and US Census Bureau surveys and administrative data between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2021. Children were linked to parents and other family members using birth records and household surveys, and then family members were linked to criminal legal system records. Data were analyzed between July 15, 2023, and March 1, 2025. Family CLCs. Mean prevalence rates of family CLCs were estimated for 4 types of recent (prior year and prior 5 years) family CLCs, including charges, convictions, felony convictions, and postadjudication incarceration, across family relationship (parent vs overall), child age (0-17 years), and cohort period (2000-2021). The final courts sample included 371 100 000 observations for family charges and convictions linked to 43 490 000 unique children (56.7% aged 0-9 years and 43.2% aged 10-17 years; 50.7% boys), and the incarceration sample included 784 200 000 observations linked to 76 610 000 unique children (58.0% aged 0-9 years and 41.9% aged 10-17 years; 50.7% boys). Between 2000 and 2021, 15.0% of children had a family member charged within the past 5 years. In addition, 11.6% of children experienced a family member's conviction, 3.6% a family member's felony conviction, and 1.4% a family member's incarceration within the past 5 years. Parent CLCs constituted a substantial proportion of children's family CLCs (73.0%-78.7%) across 5-year exposures, with 11.8% of children experiencing a parent's CLC within the past 5 years. Overall prevalence varied little by age, although parent CLCs were somewhat higher in early childhood. Prevalence of family CLCs among children increased substantially between 2000 and 2019 from 6.6% to 19.6% for past-5-year family criminal charges. This cross-sectional study found pervasive and increasing rates of children experiencing family CLCs. Given the adverse consequences of family CLCs for children, these findings have profound implications for child and adolescent well-being and the professionals who work with them.
Depression, anxiety and criminal behaviour are often correlated, but the direction and nature of these associations remain contested. To investigate the temporal relationships between depression and/or anxiety and criminal behaviour at age 32 and depression and/or anxiety and criminal behaviour at age 48. Using prospective, longitudinal data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, we applied propensity score matching to estimate the associations between (a) depression and/or anxiety at age 32 and criminal convictions at age 48 and (b) criminal convictions at age 32 and mental health problems at age 48. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for a wide range of childhood and adolescent risk factors for offending or illness. Overall, a significant association between depression and anxiety and much later offending was evident, but after allowing for childhood adversities by propensity score matching, these relationships disappeared, suggesting that they are best explained by the common antecedent of childhood adversities. There was no relationship between any offending up to age 32 and depression or anxiety measured at age 48. Although our findings were limited by the very large time gap between measures of mental health and offending, it is clear that depression and anxiety may be important in the pathway to crime, but that this association is largely accounted for by shared early-life risk factors. Our findings also, however, caution against assuming any direct relationship between these symptoms and crime, regardless of direction. Recognising early developmental vulnerabilities and intervening appropriately may be the most effective way of preventing later ill health and criminal behaviour.
DNA evidence can be used to link perpetrators to crime scenes or victims. We examined all Japanese criminal court cases included in a commercially available LEX/DB Internet (LEX database) from 1989, the year DNA analysis was first used as evidence in criminal trials, through 2024. We primarily analyzed data on the validity, conviction, and sentencing rates of trials involving DNA evidence. The conviction rate in these trials was not higher than the generally published conviction rate in all phases. This was either nearly equivalent to or slightly lower than that in trials without DNA evidence. However, after 2009, when trials shifted from judge-only to lay judge trials, remarkable changes in the weighting of the admissibility and probative value of DNA evidence were observed. Specifically, from 1989 to 2009, the rate of admissibility of DNA evidence was high, and the average conviction rate was higher than that of trials without DNA evidence. However, after the transition to lay judge trials, the conviction rate in trials involving DNA evidence fell below the average conviction rate compared to those not involving DNA evidence. It can be presumed that the value of DNA evidence and its probative weight have increased during lay judge trials. Contrarily, sentencing trends in DNA-evidence-involving trials showed some variation in the diverse judgment criteria of lay judges after the transition to lay judge trials; however, no significant changes occurred. These data will stimulate discussions regarding quality control and maximize the value of DNA evidence.
How should the state respond to people who commit low-level criminal offenses that stem from an untreated substance-use disorder? The issue has taken on a heightened importance amidst an ongoing national addiction crisis that has destabilized many U.S. communities and led to a myriad of harms. I offer a qualified defense for the use of legal mandates that require participation in drug treatment in lieu of jail time as one possible tool for reducing the public harms associated with chronic addiction. I argue that mandated treatment is effective, though less effective than many proponents argue. Beyond the effectiveness question, opponents contend that mandated treatment exacerbates structural inequalities, including the overpolicing of marginalized communities and underinvestment in voluntary treatment. Drawing on an egalitarian theory of justice, I argue that these structural inequalities present a compelling reason to constrain the use of mandates, but that they should be counterbalanced by a mixture of paternalistic and public safety concerns that make mandates one of several instruments in drug policy for addressing the pervasive harms from severe substance-use disorders.
In the aftermath of notable criminal incidents, discussions surrounding mental illness and public safety have gained prominence. This study investigates the association between mental illness and crime in Taiwan and explores how mental health resources are associated with crime patterns across space and time. We analysed criminal legal judgements in Taiwan using natural language processing to identify cases involving indications of mental illness based on court records. Geographic Information System techniques and Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression (GTWR) were used to examine spatiotemporal patterns and associations between mental health resources and crime. By examining legal judgements, we estimate that about 0.4% of crimes involve individuals with indications of mental illness, based on what is recorded in court decisions. Spatiotemporal analysis and GTWR showed that areas with higher mental health resources often aligned with higher crime rates for certain offences, such as violent crimes and larceny, reflecting urbanisation and victim support needs. Conversely, a greater density of psychiatry departments and doctors was associated with reductions in crimes involving mental illness. Crimes involving individuals with mental illness account for a small fraction of all criminal cases in Taiwan. These findings highlight the potential role of mental health resources in mitigating certain types of crime and contribute to understanding the complex relationship between mental health and public safety.
This article examines how migrants who traveled the Balkan Route use joint revenge fantasizing to make sense of border violence and reassign criminality to state actors. Based on minimally structured group conversations recorded in Trieste, Italy, it analyzes joint fantasizing as a collective narrative practice rather than an incidental expression of shared frustration. It identifies three mechanism families-symbolic reversal of hierarchies, collective moral tribunal, and contained transgressive catharsis-that show how imagined counter-violence may function as "impossible harm": morally saturated yet structurally blocked from enactment. Revenge fantasies among structurally marginalized groups are conceptualized as harm-related storytelling that exposes and contests state and border violence. Joint revenge fantasizing emerges as a mode of impossible harm through which migrants symbolically reassign criminality to state actors while keeping counter-violence in the imaginative realm. In this way, the article extends narrative criminology beyond its offender-centered, event-focused inheritance by foregrounding imagination, interaction, and lived narrative practices in contexts of border violence. How Migrants on the Balkan Route Imagine Revenge to Make Sense of Border ViolenceThis article looks at how migrants who traveled along the Balkan Route talk together about revenge after experiencing violence at European borders. Based on group conversations recorded in Trieste, Italy, the study shows that these revenge fantasies are not simple jokes or random expressions of anger. Instead, they are a shared way of talking about humiliation, fear, and injustice. The article identifies three main patterns in these conversations. In some cases, migrants imagine turning power relations upside down, so that border guards experience the same fear and suffering they caused. In other cases, they imagine a moral or legal judgment in which state actors are exposed and punished for their actions. In still other cases, dark humor allows them to express rage and frustration without turning these fantasies into real plans. The article argues that these imagined acts of revenge are a form of “impossible harm”: they are emotionally intense and morally meaningful, but they remain blocked from real action by fear, legal insecurity, exhaustion, and dependence on institutions. More broadly, the study shows that people who suffer border violence use storytelling not only to describe harm, but also to challenge official ideas about who is dangerous and who is criminal.
In March 2025, the expiration of federal pilot funding for Safer Supply Programs (SSPs), combined with restrictive provincial legislative changes to harm reduction service provision in Ontario, disrupted care for thousands of clients at risk of toxic drug poisoning. This study examines the impacts of these changes on client health, social stability, and overdose risk across a continuum of access. We conducted 30 semi-structured virtual interviews between September and November 2025 with clients who were enrolled in an SSP prior to March 31, 2025. Participants were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis to explore experiences across three distinct groups: those who maintained continuity with their prescriber or SSP, those who transitioned to a new prescriber or SSP, and those who lost access entirely. Experiences of harm were directly proportional to the degree of service disconnection. Participants who maintained access (n = 10) retained clinical stability, but reported chronic anxiety and "survivor's guilt" regarding peers who lost care. Participants who transitioned to an alternative prescriber (n = 13) experienced a "medicalization of harm reduction" characterized by increased surveillance (e.g., urine screens, monitored dosing), revoked take-home doses, and the loss of trusted relationships, which undermined their autonomy and stability. Those who lost access entirely (n = 7) experienced significant harms, such as the loss of an entire ecosystem of care (i.e., medication, primary care, and community), an immediate return to the unregulated fentanyl market, and engagement in survival strategies that can lead to criminalization. Notably, 100% (n = 5) of participants who reported an overdose following the policy changes belonged to this group. The loss of federal funding for SSPs in Ontario did not solely reduce medication availability; it severed the structural and relational network that supported participants' reintegration into health care services that they previously felt uncomfortable accessing due to stigma, surveillance and mistreatment. Findings reveal a "continuum of disconnection" where the removal of wraparound supports and the reintroduction of punitive clinical practices function as forms of structural violence. Sustainable, low-barrier models are urgently needed to prevent further morbidity and mortality.
Recent shifts in U.S. and global HIV perinatal guidelines have reopened long-constrained conversations about infant feeding for people living with HIV (PLWH), including the option of breast/chestfeeding under conditions of viral suppression. While these changes represent meaningful progress, they unfold within a historical and contemporary landscape shaped by medical racism, gender-based oppression, criminalization, and persistent HIV stigma - forces that continue to constrain autonomy and trust in care. In this Perspective, we propose the Informed Free Choice model, a reproductive justice informed framework that moves beyond conventional shared decision-making to explicitly address structural inequities, power dynamics, and the lived realities of families affected by HIV. Drawing on interdisciplinary clinical practice, community advocacy, and participatory training and organizing with women living with HIV, we situate infant feeding decisions within multilevel systems of care and governance. We argue that Informed Free Choice requires not only accurate risk-benefit counseling, but also meaningful involvement of people living with HIV (MIPA), interdisciplinary care teams, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, and policy alignment that protects families from coercion, surveillance, and punishment. We conclude by outlining implications for clinical practice, guideline development, and future research, positioning Informed Free Choice as a necessary evolution in perinatal HIV care that aligns scientific advances with reproductive justice and health equity.
Emergency departments (EDs) are highly utilized by individuals with criminal-legal system involvement (CLSI)-including those pre-arrest, in-custody, and post-release. EDs are often considered "adverse outcomes" in health services, clinical, and implementation research. We argue that EDs should also be considered an important partner in clinical carceral health practice and research. EDs have served important roles in addressing clinical and social determinants of health among other marginalized populations, such as those with behavioral health needs or housing insecurity. As EDs interact with patients throughout the correctional care continuum, we offer suggestions for partnership to improve clinical care. Finally, we highlight ED-based research being done to improve care for individuals with CLSI and why researchers should consider partnering with EDs to enhance recruitment, data collection, and intervention development of their studies. While it is never ideal for someone to require an ED visit, the reality is that for many, the ED is their primary source of care. We encourage our colleagues working in corrections medicine, re-entry services, and research to consider how they can partner with EDs as we all work to improve health systems and outcomes for our shared patients with CLSI.
In this same, May-June 2026, issue of the Hastings Center Report, Brendon Saloner suggests that mandated drug treatment can expand freedom and promote egalitarian social justice so long as three criteria are met. Drawing on our clinical experience in addiction medicine and a critical appraisal of the available evidence, we challenge this claim. We argue that Saloner's three criteria are unlikely to be met within jurisdictions that criminalize drug use and lack supports for people who use drugs. The criterion that mandated treatment be "likely to be beneficial" is undermined by the coercive nature of such interventions and the lack of evidence supporting their effectiveness when compared to voluntary care. Further, the application of mandated treatment risks extending carceral oversight to individuals charged with minor offenses, disproportionately affecting equity-denied populations. Finally, we question whether infringements on liberty through legal oversight can genuinely expand freedom, particularly when such measures exacerbate social instability and undermine the potential for voluntary engagement with care. We contend that meaningful expansion of freedom for people who use drugs is better achieved through voluntary, community-based treatment models supported by robust social infrastructure. A radical reorientation of drug policy-away from coercion and toward supportive, person-centered care-is necessary to achieve the ethical aims of reducing harm, promoting autonomy, and advancing egalitarian social justice.
Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is a cornerstone of forensic DNA analysis, particularly during criminal investigations. However, certain clinical conditions, such as bone marrow transplantation, can complicate interpretation. To illustrate the impact of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation on forensic STR analysis, this case report details a sexual assault investigation involving a female victim who had previously received a bone marrow transplant from a female donor. A female sexual assault victim underwent forensic examination, during which multiple biological swabs were collected. STR profiling was conducted on the victim's blood, fingernail, buccal, breast, hip, vulvar, vaginal, cervical samples, panty, and brassiere. As conflicting profiles were found, a detailed medical history was collected, and hair follicle analysis was performed to confirm the origin of the STR profiles. Blood STR profiling revealed a single female genotype, while multiple swabs, including vaginal and cervical samples, showed a second female STR profile alongside the first. Notably, the consistency and distribution of the mixed profile across samples reduced the likelihood of laboratory contamination. The medical history of the victim revealed a prior history of allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Hair follicle analysis identified the recipient's original genotype, confirming that the secondary STR profile originated from the donor. Bone marrow transplantation may result in a mixed STR profile, potentially leading to misidentification or misinterpretation of forensic evidence. Awareness of transplant history is crucial during forensic evaluations. However, such clinical history is currently not included in standard sexual-assault evidence forms, underscoring the need for procedural updates.
Indonesia's beauty industry has grown rapidly in recent times. One of the most popular beauty products produced and sold is lipstick. Lipstick has gained interest as a form of trace/exchange evidence due to its transferable properties since it can be transferred to surfaces such as drinking cups, clothes, cigarette butts, and straws. This is beneficial for establishing links between individuals, environments, and potential items involved in a criminal investigation. To date however, there has been no published research regarding the forensic characterisation of lipsticks available on the Indonesian market. In this study, 99 lipsticks sold on the Indonesian market were examined and differentiated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) resulted in a model with 86.5% accuracy for distinguishing individual lipstick products. This model was then validated using a separate sample set, producing an identification accuracy exceeding 60%. This demonstrates the potential to gather investigative information from an unknown sample, even without any reference sample, in the Indonesian context.
We re-analyze two research articles with results showing that Sweden's criminalization of purchasing sex triggered a large increase in rape. Our analysis documents discrepancies that produce unreliable results in five identification strategies in the first paper (Ciacci, 2024), and in all specifications indicating a large reform effect in the other (Ciacci, 2025). These discrepancies include estimating different statistical relationships, using different methods, or employing different variables than the paper describes. Correcting them by implementing the analysis described in the text yields no evidence that the Swedish reform increased rape.
The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway was introduced in England and Wales in 2012 to manage high risk offenders with personality disorder. One of the key outcomes of the Pathway is to reduce re-offending. A national mixed methods evaluation was undertaken, and this paper presents findings from the qualitative interviews focussing on staff's perceptions of the Pathway's ability to impact on re-offending in this population. Interviews were carried out with 38 staff and analysed using a framework analysis. Staff reported that the Pathway: improved their understanding of individuals and what drives their offending; developed their confidence to manage this population; and enhanced inter-agency communication. They were less convinced of any direct impact on re-offending. Early indicators of the Pathway show it has value in improving engagement, risk management, staff skills, and inter-agency working. Whether this is enough to reduce re-offending will take time to establish. Supporting Men with Long-Standing Personality Difficulties Linked to Serious and Violent Offending Behaviour: Staff Views on a Pathway Programme designed to Reduce Repeat Serious and Violent OffendingThe Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway was introduced in England and Wales in 2012 to improve how services manage people who have long standing personality difficulties which are linked to serious and violent offending behaviour. These individuals are considered high risk of repeating serious and violent offences and one of the key aims of the Pathway is to reduce this repeat re-offending by improving how these individuals are assessed, supported and supervised. A national evaluation was carried out which involved collecting criminal justice system data and also carrying out interviews with both staff working in these services and individuals receiving the services. This paper reports on findings from interviews with 38 staff working in services involved in the Pathway. The interviews explored staff views about whether the Pathway is helping to reduce re-offending among high-risk individuals with personality difficulties. Overall, staff were positive about the changes the Pathway has brought. They felt it had improved their understanding of the people they work with, particularly the complex factors that contribute to offending behaviour. Staff also reported feeling more confident in managing individuals who present high levels of risk and have personality difficulties. In addition, they described better communication and collaboration between agencies, such as prison, probation and health services, which they believed led to more coordinated and consistent support. However, staff were less certain about whether the Pathway can directly reduce repeat offending. Many felt that changes in repeat offending rates can take time to become clear. Instead, they saw the Pathway’s impact as more indirect. By improving engagement with individuals, improving risk management, and increasing staff knowledge and skills, the Pathway may create the right conditions for repeat offending to reduce over the longer term.
Reports an error in "Racism and health: Examining pathways influencing health outcomes among justice-involved and nonjustice-involved Black and Latine individuals" by Terrill O. Taylor, Nicholas C. Smith, Ty A. Robinson and Kentiera D. Wood (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2026[Jan], Vol 73[1], 17-32; see record 2026-88150-001). In the article, due to an editorial production error, Nicholas C. Smith's affiliation is incorrect. His affiliation should be Department of Sociology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2026-88150-001). The pervasive nature of racism at interpersonal and structural levels remains a significant public health threat, as it contributes to adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. The biopsychosocial model of racism underscores physiological, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms that influence health outcomes; however, less is known about the distinct mechanisms through which experiences of racism shape health outcomes among Black and Latine individuals who face cumulative disadvantage because of criminal legal system involvement. Black and Latine participants (N = 828; justice involved, n = 343; nonjustice involved, n = 485) completed measures assessing lifetime experiences of racism, race-related stress (anticipatory bodily alarm responses; perseverative cognitions), emotional regulation difficulties, and internalizing (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder) and externalizing (alcohol use, cannabis use, substance consequences) health outcomes. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to examine associations between variables and assessment of group differences. Results revealed that (a) there were significant direct associations between racism experiences and anticipatory bodily alarm responses, perseverative cognitions, and emotional regulation difficulties, (b) associations between anticipatory bodily alarm responses and internalizing and externalizing symptoms were mediated by perseverative cognitions and emotional regulation difficulties, and (c) significant differences in pathways were observed based on justice-involvement status. Findings suggest that justice-involved participants may experience worse health outcomes that may be explained by cognitive, emotional, and physiological mechanisms pronounced by experiences of racism. Together, results necessitate the need for interventions to address the impacts of racism to improve health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The integrity of DNA extracts is a critical factor in forensic genetics, particularly when DNA represents the sole source of evidentiary value in criminal investigations. Although technologies such as mini-STRs have improved the amplification of low-quality samples, DNA degradation remains a significant limitation, often resulting from environmental exposure and handling conditions. Heat, light, humidity, microbial contamination, and inadequate storage infrastructure may compromise DNA quality and limit its suitability for downstream analyses. While best practice guidelines recommend low-temperature storage, operational constraints, equipment failures, and inconsistent protocols frequently result in DNA extracts being stored under suboptimal conditions, including room temperature. The present study systematically investigates the long-term preservation of DNA extracts stored under non-ideal and fluctuating temperature conditions, including simulated interruptions to the cold chain. DNA extracts from buccal swabs from two individuals, and their mixture in a 1:15 ratio, were monitored over extended storage periods at -20 °C, + 4 °C, and + 22 °C, as well as under uncontrolled temperature conditions, to assess changes in DNA concentration, degradation indices, and performance in downstream analyses. Selected samples also underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) after 600 days of storage at different temperatures and conditions to evaluate data quality, including ancestry and phenotype inference. The objectives are to: (a) define optimal preservation conditions for different sample types; (b) evaluate the impact of DNA degradation on STR and NGS results; (c) identify the limitations of NGS in the analysis of degraded DNA; (d) develop evidence-based recommendations for the storage and management of forensic DNA extracts. Results showed that DNA extracts are stable over extended periods also in suboptimal storage conditions, supporting the feasibility of long-term preservation and subsequent re-analysis of extracts in cold-cases, or of samples obtained in emergency non-ideal situations. Evaporation of extracts stored at room temperature affects DNA concentration, but does not compromise DNA integrity or downstream genetic analyses. Interruptions in the cold chain did not result in an immediate collapse of DNA integrity; however, prolonged exposure to the new storage temperature was found to gradually influence DNA preservation. For NGS analyses, DNA quantity, rather than degradation per se, represents the primary limiting factor for successful SNP profiling. Finally, phenotypic and biogeographic ancestry predictions are robust across storage conditions. The expected outcomes include enhancing forensic laboratory practices, improving the reliability of genetic evidence in both current and cold cases, and contributing to the development of updated procedural and legal guidelines within the field.