The National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence yesterday kicked off an historic conference exploring federal policy on DNA technology and the criminal justice system at the ARCO Forum.

This three-day conclave will feature keynote addresses by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and experts in genetic research and its legal implications.

The conference will address "the impact of advances in our understanding of DNA technology...and how the criminal justice system needs to adapt," said

David Lazer, an assistant professor of public policy at the Kennedy School of Government and a coordinator of the conference.

The National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence was created in 1998 at Reno's request.

Reno has taken a personal interest in the commission's findings on how DNA testing can be used most efficiently in the future, said Shirley S. Abrahamson, chair of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence.

The conference began yesterday with a panel discussion on behavioral genetics and the criminal justice system, led by Garland Allen, professor of biology at Washington University, Paul Billings, director of GeneSage, which applies genetic technology to practical use, James D. Watson, known for his part in the discovery of the structure of DNA and Lindon J. Eaves, professor of human genetics at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

The panelists discussed concerns over the potential misuse of genetics in the justice system due to a lack of sufficient understanding of the genetic basis for determining behavior.