She said advances in forensics can be used not only to prosecute criminals but also to exonerate those who have been wrongfully convicted.
"We must not let another day go by if we have innocent people sitting in jail that could be freed by DNA testing," she said.
Reno also highlighted four concerns about genetic testing: accuracy, constitutionality and privacy, relevance to particular cases and public trust.
"DNA is accepted in so many situations, but we must continue to do much more," Reno said.
She said the nation must develop DNA databases, which "tangibly reduces the number of crimes and the number of future victims."
"The bad guys are going to find that there are no safe places to hide," she said.
Reno indicated that such promise cannot be realized until states have adequately addressed all of the implications associated with genetic technology.
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