Improving Forensic DNA Policy Project

Overview

The NGA Center for Best Practices, with support from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), is working to assist states in improving how forensic DNA is used to promote public safety. DNA can provide an unparalleled degree of certainty in solving crimes, identifying criminals, and identifying victims of violent crime. However, its full potential as a crime-fighting and crime-solving tool remains underutilized.

Massive backlogs of unanalyzed DNA crime scene evidence and convicted offender samples can hinder closing unsolved and cold cases. DNA is not widely collected from evidence from high-volume crimes, such as burglary, despite research showing these individuals are also committing violent crimes. Finally, most states do not require taking of DNA samples in cases involving unidentified human remains that could potentially assist in closing nearly 110,000 active missing person cases in the National Crime Information Center's (NCIC's) Missing Person File. Complicating matters is the fact that advances in state DNA programs are at risk because the federal funds that helped support their expansion and operation are due to sunset in 2009.

Focus of Center Activities

The goal of the Improving Forensic DNA Policy Project is to help states ensure that they are using DNA to its full extent as a tool to promote public safety. The project will assist governors and other state policymakers in developing strategies to improve the use of and funding for forensic DNA. The project focuses on many areas of DNA policy including training, coping with increasing demand, developing alternative funding sources, and finding cost savings.

Through the project, states will have the opportunity to work with peers from other states as well as a national faculty of researchers, representatives from NIJ, and other experts over the course of the year to identify solutions to these challenges.

Five states were selected through a competitive process to participate in the project. Activities include participation in a learning lab on forensic DNA; participation in an in-state policy workshop for the state team; and the provision of ongoing as-needed technical assistance. The teams will work together to evaluate the state's current use and funding of forensic DNA and will begin got develop a strategic response that ensures maximum public safety benefit and sustainability.

The five states that have been selected to participate in the project are:

* Florida

* Kentucky

* New York

* Ohio

* Washington