ABSTRACT

A system of identification based on the classification of finger ridge patterns. Even today, this method of identification is considered the most desirable for the establishment of positive identity.

In the United States, the official use of fingerprints for personal identification was adopted by the New York City Civil Service Commission in the early 1900s, followed by adoption of the method by various U.S. agencies including the U.S. armed forces and the FBI. In 1924, fingerprint files from Leavenworth and the Bureau of Investigation were combined, officially establishing a central fingerprint depository. Today, the FBI has the largest collection of fingerprints in the world. To establish identity based on fingerprints, an

antemortem record

of some sort must exist for the deceased. Most individuals in the U.S., over the age of 18, will have been fingerprinted at some time in their lives. Some instances in which fingerprints are obtained include military service, certain governmental positions, licensing for various activities (the practice of medicine, driver’s licenses, etc.), and processing of individuals suspected of criminal offenses. Also, today many parents have obtained fingerprint records on their children, as a means of positive identity.