Rape Victim Urges U.S. Senator Shelby to Fully Fund DNA Grants

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Debbie Smith, an outspoken rape survivor and advocate for the use of forensic DNA in investigations, met today with a group of public officials and criminal justice advocates regarding recent efforts in the US Senate to reduce the amount of funding available for forensic DNA testing. The federal funds have been used in Alabama and other states to address the backlog of cases and offender profiles awaiting DNA analysis, but Senator Shelby, who provides Senate leadership on this matter, has recommended a significant reduction in these funds.

Debbie Smith lobbied Congress to enact H.R. 5107, the Justice For All Act of 2004, authorizing over $155 million each year through 2009 to help states reduce DNA backlogs. Title II of the bill was named the Debbie Smith Act in honor of her efforts. While both the President and the House of Representatives have proposed to fully fund the Debbie Smith Act grants at $155 million for 2006, Senator Shelby, who chairs the Justice Department Appropriations Subcommittee, has recommended funding the grants at only $89.5 million.

With the help of federal DNA grants, Alabama has significantly reduced its DNA backlog and has reported almost 800 matches on its DNA database, and aiding over 1,000 individual investigations. In recent weeks, Alabama has identified the perpetrator in many unsolved rape cases dating back to the mid 1980's, including the identification of several previously unknown serial rapists throughout Alabama. However, Alabama still has a significant amount of work ahead, with an offender backlog of nearly 50,000 and over 1,500 unsolved violent cases still awaiting analysis. Debbie Smith noted that the state of Virginia, which has the most mature DNA database in the country, is now boasting over 3000 database matches, with no-suspect forensic cases having a 60% success rate for being matched to an offender's profile. "With the possibility of instantly providing a suspect in six out of ten stranger rapes, how can we afford anything less than full funding for DNA programs? What other forensic program has this sort of success rate for solving violent crimes?" Mrs. Smith declared. "It is so important for this program to be fully funded. The general public safety relies on it."

At the meeting, Taylor Noggle, the Director of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences said that if the federal DNA backlog grants continue at the fully authorized level, Alabama expects to clear their backlog of untested cases in three years. He stated, "There is no other forensic discipline that has the immediate impact to solve crimes that this DNA database has." He concluded, "It is imperative that we fund this program both at the federal level and at the state level to continue the success of this program." In her statement, Ellen Brooks, the Montgomery County District Attorney, noted several previously unsolved cases that had been aided in Montgomery County through DNA testing -- including a 25 year-old rape case that recently was matched to a known offender. She pleaded, "Senator Shelby, you can be a leader, you can be a hero, in doing what's right."

Mrs. Smith pleads, "It is my most fervent hope that Senator Shelby will reconsider his recommendations for reduced spending on DNA programs. Anything less will mean a longer wait for DNA analysis on crime scene evidence. And as we wait, Alabama and other states will have needless rapes, homicides and other crimes that remain unsolved as those criminals remain on the street to commit more crime. This funding can bring closure to victims and their families, and can prevent additional crimes from occurring. It can save lives."

Others attending the meeting in support of Mrs. Smith's plea for fully funding the Debbie Smith Act grant included representatives of Alabama's Department of Forensic Sciences, the Montgomery County District Attorney, the Alabama Coalition Against Rape (ACAR), Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission (ACVCC), Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL), and Standing Together Against Rape (STAR).