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Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology
DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the
criminal justice system. DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible
accuracy when biological evidence exists, and DNA can be used to clear suspects
and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.
The current federal and state DNA collection and analysis system needs improvement.
In many instances, public crime labs are overwhelmed by backlogs of unanalyzed
DNA samples. In addition, these labs may be ill-equipped to handle the increasing
influx of DNA samples and evidence. The problems of backlogs and the lack of
up-to-date technology result in significant delays in the administration of
justice. More research is needed to develop faster methods for analyzing DNA
evidence. Professionals involved in the criminal justice system need additional
training and assistance in order to ensure the optimal use of DNA evidence to
solve crimes and assist victims. And the criminal justice system needs the means
to provide DNA testing in appropriate circumstances for individuals who assert
that they have been wrongly convicted.
President Bush believes we must do more to realize the full potential of DNA
technology to solve crime and protect the innocent. The President has proposed
$232.6 million in federal funding in FY 2004 for his initiative, Advancing Justice
Through DNA Technology, and calls for continuing this level of funding for five
years - a total commitment of over $1 billion. Under the President's initiative,
the Attorney General will improve the use of DNA in the criminal justice system
- especially in federal, state, and local forensic laboratories - by providing
funds, training and assistance to ensure that this technology reaches its full
potential. The President's initiative promotes:
Using DNA to Solve Crimes: When used to its full potential, DNA technology
will permit the criminal justice system to identify criminals quickly and accurately.
More crimes will be solved and persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes
will be cleared if the criminal justice system is provided with the necessary
funding, technology, and assistance it needs to reap the benefits of DNA technology.
Under the President's initiative, the Attorney General will:
-- Eliminate Backlogs: The initiative provides funding to eliminate, within
five years, the current backlogs of unanalyzed DNA samples for the most serious
violent offenses - rapes, murders, and kidnappings - and for convicted offender
samples needing testing.
-- Strengthen Crime Laboratory Capacity: The initiative provides funding to
improve the analysis capacity of federal, state, and local crime labs so they
can process DNA samples efficiently and cost-effectively and help prevent future
backlogs.
-- Stimulate Research and Development: The initiative provides resources to
stimulate innovative research in order to develop, among other things, more
rapid and less costly methods of DNA analysis and the ability to analyze smaller
and more degraded samples.
-- Provide Training: The initiative provides training on the collection and
use of DNA evidence to the wide variety of professionals involved in using DNA
evidence in the criminal justice system - police officers, prosecutors, defense
attorneys, judges, forensic scientists, medical personnel, victim service providers,
corrections officers, and probation and parole officers.
Using DNA to Protect the Innocent:
Under the President's initiative, the Attorney General will advance the use
of DNA technology to protect the innocent from wrongful prosecution. The initiative
supports providing access to post-conviction DNA testing in appropriate circumstances
for state or federal inmates who may have been wrongly convicted, and establishes
a grant program to assist states in providing post-conviction testing.
Using DNA to Identify Missing Persons:
The events of September 11, 2001 demonstrated on a national scale the potential
for anguish when the remains of a missing person go unidentified. In order to
help provide closure for families of missing persons, the President's initiative
provides education and outreach to medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement
officers, and victims' families on the use of DNA to identify missing persons.
USING DNA TO SOLVE CRIMES
The past decade has seen great advances in a powerful criminal justice tool:
deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible
accuracy when biological evidence exists. By the same token, DNA can be used
to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.
In all, DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness
in the criminal justice system.
News stories extolling the successful use of DNA to solve crimes abound. For
example, in 1999, New York authorities linked a man through DNA evidence to
at least 22 sexual assaults and robberies that had terrorized the city. In 2002,
authorities in Philadelphia and Fort Collins, Colo. used DNA evidence to link
and solve a series of crimes (rapes and a murder) perpetrated by the same individual.
In the 2001 "Green River" killings, DNA evidence provided a major
breakthrough in a series of crimes that had remained unsolved for years despite
a large law enforcement task force and a $15 million investigation.
DNA is generally used to solve crimes in one of two ways. In cases where a
suspect is identified, a sample of that person's DNA can be compared to evidence
from the crime scene. The results of this comparison may help establish whether
the suspect committed the crime. In cases where a suspect has not yet been identified,
biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender
profiles in DNA databases to help identify the perpetrator. Crime scene evidence
can also be linked to other crime scenes through the use of DNA databases.
For example, assume that a man was convicted of sexual assault. At the time
of his conviction, he was required to provide a sample of his DNA, and the resulting
DNA profile was entered into a DNA database. Several years later, another sexual
assault was committed. A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) worked with the
victim and was able to obtain biological evidence from the rape. This evidence
was analyzed, the resulting profile was run against a DNA database, and a match
was made to the man's DNA profile. He was apprehended, tried, and sentenced
for his second crime. In this hypothetical case, he was also prevented from
committing other crimes during the period of his incarceration.
DNA evidence is generally linked to DNA offender profiles through DNA databases.
In the late 1980s, the federal government laid the groundwork for a system of
national, state, and local DNA databases for the storage and exchange of DNA
profiles. This system, called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), maintains
DNA profiles obtained under the federal, state, and local systems in a set of
databases that are available to law enforcement agencies across the country
for law enforcement purposes. CODIS can compare crime scene evidence to a database
of DNA profiles obtained from convicted offenders. CODIS can also link DNA evidence
obtained from different crime scenes, thereby identifying serial criminals.
In order to take advantage of the investigative potential of CODIS, in the
late 1980s and early 1990s, states began passing laws requiring offenders convicted
of certain offenses to provide DNA samples. Currently all 50 states and the
federal government have laws requiring that DNA samples be collected from some
categories of offenders.
When used to its full potential, DNA evidence will help solve and may even
prevent some of the Nation's most serious violent crimes. However, the current
federal and state DNA collection and analysis system needs improvement:
(1) In many instances, public crime labs are overwhelmed by backlogs of unanalyzed
DNA samples.
(2) In addition, these labs may be ill-equipped to handle the increasing influx
of DNA samples and evidence. The problems of backlogs and lack of up-to-date
technology result in significant delays in the administration of justice.
(3) More research is needed to develop faster methods for analyzing DNA evidence.
(4) Professionals working in the criminal justice system need additional training
and assistance in order to ensure the optimal use of DNA evidence to solve crimes
and assist victims.
President Bush believes we must do more to realize the full potential of DNA
technology to solve crime and protect the innocent. Under the President's initiative,
the Attorney General will improve the use of DNA in the criminal justice system
by providing funds and assistance to ensure that this technology reaches its
full potential to solve crimes.
1. Eliminating Backlogs
One of the biggest problems facing the criminal justice system today is the
substantial backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples and biological evidence from crime
scenes, especially in sexual assault and murder cases. Too often, crime scene
samples wait unanalyzed in police or crime lab storage facilities. Timely analysis
of these samples and placement into DNA databases can avert tragic results.
For example, in 1995, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement linked evidence
found on a rape-homicide victim to a convicted rapist's DNA profile just eight
days before he was scheduled for parole. Had he been released prior to being
linked to the unsolved rape-homicide, he may very well have raped or murdered
again.
By contrast, analysis and placement into CODIS of DNA profiles can dramatically
enhance the chances that potential crime victims will be spared the violence
of vicious, repeat offenders. The President's initiative calls for $92.9 million
to help alleviate the current backlogs of DNA samples for the most serious violent
offenses - rapes, murders, and kidnappings - and for convicted offender samples
needing testing. With this additional federal backlog reduction funding, the
funding provided by this initiative to improve crime laboratory capacity, and
continued support from the states, the current backlogs will be eliminated in
five years.
Understanding the Backlog
The state and local backlog problem has two components: (1) "casework
sample backlogs," which consist of DNA samples obtained from crime scenes,
victims, and suspects in criminal cases, and (2) "convicted offender backlogs,"
which consist of DNA samples obtained from convicted offenders who are incarcerated
or under supervision. The nature of the DNA backlog is complex and changing,
and measuring the precise number of unanalyzed DNA samples is difficult.
Casework Sample Backlogs: In a 2001 survey of public DNA laboratories, the
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that between 1997 and 2000, DNA laboratories
experienced a 73% increase in casework and a 135% increase in their casework
backlogs. Many casework samples go unanalyzed for lack of a suspect to which
to compare the biological evidence from the crime scene. These are often referred
to as "no-suspect" cases. Based on an ongoing assessment of crime
laboratories and law enforcement agencies, the National Institute of Justice
(NIJ) estimates that the current backlog of rape and homicide cases is approximately
350,000. The initiative calls for $76 million in FY 2004 to help eliminate these
backlogs over five years.
Convicted Offender Backlogs: States are increasing the number of convicted offenders
required to provide DNA samples. Currently, 23 states require all convicted
felons to provide DNA samples. Preliminary estimates by NIJ place the number
of collected, untested convicted offender samples at between 200,000 and 300,000.
NIJ also estimates that there are between 500,000 and 1,000,000 convicted offender
samples that are owed, but not yet collected. The initiative calls for $15 million
in FY 2004 to help eliminate convicted offender backlogs over five years.
The federal government also faces a high demand for analysis of casework and
convicted offender DNA samples. The FBI has two DNA casework analysis units
(see page 5). The first unit, which focuses on analyzing nuclear DNA, has a
backlog of approximately 900 cases. The second unit, which focuses on analyzing
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), has a backlog of roughly 120 cases.
The federal government also collects DNA samples from persons convicted of
offenses in certain categories, including crimes of violence or terrorism. The
FBI currently has a backlog of approximately 18,000 convicted offender samples.
The initiative calls for $1.9 million in FY 2004 to fund the federal convicted
offender program; some of these funds will be devoted to eliminating the federal
convicted offender backlog.
Effect of Clearing the Backlog
The results of addressing backlogs are dramatic, as the two examples below
illustrate:
In September 1993, a married couple was attacked on a jogging trail in Dallas
by a man with a gun who sexually assaulted the woman after shooting the man.
No suspect was ever positively identified, although police investigated over
200 leads and 40 potential suspects. In August 2000, evidence from the case
was analyzed using current DNA technology. Then, in February 2001, the DNA sample
was matched to an individual who was already serving a five-year sentence for
an unrelated 1997 sexual assault of a child. The man has since been convicted
of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault.
In March 1992, an Alexandria, Virginia shop owner was stabbed more than 150
times in her home. There were no witnesses to the crime. For years, detectives
had no leads, but they did have traces of someone's blood, apparently from the
fierce struggle between the victim and the killer. Meanwhile, in 1996, a man
pleaded guilty to robbing a gas station, and his DNA was collected for analysis
and inclusion in the Virginia DNA database. Because of the backlog, the man's
sample was not immediately analyzed. In the summer of 2000, the sample was analyzed
and matched through the database to the evidence from the Alexandria woman's
murder. In April 2001, almost nine years after the commission of this brutal
crime, the man was sentenced to life in prison.
Several law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, and crime labs across
the country have established innovative programs to review old cases. Often
called "cold case units," these programs have enabled criminal justice
officials to solve cases that have languished for years without suspects. Most
frequently, DNA evidence has been the linchpin in solving these cases. For instance,
this past July, a California man was found guilty of the 1974 rape-homicide
of a 19 year-old pregnant woman - a case that was solved through DNA evidence
nearly thirty years after the crime was committed.
Prior Federal Support of State DNA Backlog Reduction
In recent years, the federal government has strongly supported states in their
efforts to eliminate backlogs of convicted offender and casework DNA samples.
Since the creation in 2000 of the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Convicted
Offender DNA Backlog Reduction Program, more than 493,600 offender samples from
24 states have been analyzed. Since the creation in 2001 of the No Suspect Casework
DNA Backlog Reduction Program, federal funds have been provided to support the
analysis of approximately 24,800 cases. States have analyzed evidence in an
additional 18,000 "no-suspect" cases as a result of a match requirement
of Convicted Offender DNA Backlog Reduction funding.
In 2002 and 2003 combined, the President requested and Congress appropriated
$70.8 million to fund these DNA backlog reduction programs. Additionally, Attorney
General John Ashcroft also made available $25 million in Asset Forfeiture funds
to address the backlog of convicted offender and "no suspect" casework
samples. Thus, the Bush Administration already has devoted more than $95 million
to reducing DNA backlogs.
2. Strengthening Crime Laboratory Capacity
At present, many of our Nation's crime laboratories do not have the capacity
necessary to analyze DNA samples in a timely fashion. Many have limited equipment
resources, outdated information systems, and overwhelming case management demands.
As a result, the criminal justice system as a whole is unable to reap the full
benefits of DNA technology. The President's initiative will provide federal
funding to further automate and improve the infrastructure of federal, state,
and local crime labs so they can process DNA samples efficiently and cost-effectively.
These infrastructure improvements are critical to preventing future DNA backlogs,
and to helping the criminal justice system realize the full potential of DNA
technology.
Increasing the Analysis Capacity of Public Crime Labs
The President's initiative will provide significant support to public crime
labs so that these labs can update their infrastructure, automate their DNA
analysis procedures, and improve their retention and storage of forensic evidence.
The initiative calls for $60 million in FY 2004 funding, which will be dedicated
to:
Providing Basic Infrastructure Support: Some public crime laboratories still
need assistance to help them obtain equipment and material to conduct the basic
processes of DNA analysis - extraction, quantitation, amplification and analysis
- and to help them meet various accreditation requirements.
Building Infrastructure through Laboratory Information Management Systems: Laboratory
Information Management Systems, or "LIMS," are designed to automate
evidence handling and casework management, to improve the integrity and speed
of evidence handling procedures, and to ensure proper chain of custody. DOJ
estimates that only 10 percent of the public DNA laboratories have LIMS systems.
Providing Automation Tools to Public DNA Laboratories: To streamline aspects
of the DNA analysis procedure that are labor and time-intensive, crime laboratories
should have automated systems, such as robotic DNA extraction units. Automated
DNA analysis systems increase analyst productivity, limit human error and reduce
contamination.
Providing Support for the Retention and Storage of Forensic Evidence: Forensic
evidence must be stored in a manner that ensures its integrity and maintains
its availability throughout criminal investigations and judicial proceedings.
Appropriate evidence storage conditions require costly equipment such as security
systems, environmental control systems, ambient temperature monitors, and de-humidifiers.
The initiative will support the improvement of evidence storage capabilities.
Funding the FBI Forensic Analysis Programs
The FBI Laboratory runs several different programs for the analysis of DNA
information. The Nuclear DNA Program supports federal, state, local, and international
law enforcement agencies by providing advanced technical assistance within the
forensic biology discipline and sub-disciplines through interrelated capabilities
and expertise. The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Analysis Program is responsible
for performing mtDNA analysis of forensic evidence containing small or degraded
quantities of DNA on items of evidence submitted from federal, state, and local
law enforcement agencies. Mitochondrial DNA is a powerful tool available for
investigating cases of kidnapping, missing persons, and skeletal remains where
nuclear DNA is not present. The initiative will provide funds to these two existing
programs to permit them to continue their important work. In addition, the initiative
will provide funds to the FBI to further expand regional mtDNA labs that will
provide an alternative source for mtDNA analysis to state and local law enforcement,
and allow the FBI laboratory to concentrate more of its efforts on federal cases.
The initiative calls for $20.5 million in FY 2004 to fund these programs.
Funding the Combined DNA Index System
The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), administered by the FBI, maintains
DNA profiles obtained through federal, state, and local DNA sample collection
programs, and makes this information available to law enforcement agencies across
the country for law enforcement identification purposes. Currently, the National
DNA Index System (NDIS) of CODIS contains about 1.7 million DNA profiles. The
President's initiative includes funding to complete a general redesign and upgrade
of CODIS, which will increase the system's capacity to 50 million DNA profiles,
reduce the search time from hours to microseconds for matching DNA profiles,
and enable instant, real-time (as opposed to weekly) searches of the database
by participating forensic laboratories. The initiative calls for $9.9 million
in FY 2004 to fund this program.
3. Stimulating Research And Development
In order to improve the use of DNA technology to advance the cause of justice,
the Attorney General will stimulate research and development of new methods
of analyzing DNA samples under the President's initiative. Also, the President
has asked the Attorney General to establish demonstration projects under the
initiative to further study the public safety and law enforcement benefits of
fully integrating the use of DNA technology to solve crimes. Finally, the President
has directed the Attorney General to create a National Forensic Science Commission
to study rapidly evolving advances in all areas of the forensic sciences and
to make recommendations to maximize the use of the forensic sciences in the
criminal justice system. In all, the President's initiative will devote $24.8
million in FY 2004 to fund advances in the use of DNA technology.
Improving DNA Technology
Forensic DNA analysis is rapidly evolving. Research and development of tools
that will permit crime laboratories to conduct DNA analysis quickly is vital
to the goal of improving the timely analysis of DNA samples. Smaller, faster,
and less costly analysis tools will reduce capital investments for crime laboratories
while increasing their capacity to process more cases. Over the course of the
next several years, DNA research efforts will focus on the following areas:
The development of "DNA chip technology" that uses nanotechnology
to improve both speed and resolution of DNA evidence analysis. This technology
will reduce analysis time from several hours to several minutes and provide
cost-effective miniaturized components.
The development of more robust methods to enable more crime labs to have greater
success in the analysis of degraded, old, or compromised items of biological
evidence.
Advanced applications of various DNA analysis methods, such as automated Short
Tandem Repeats (STRs), Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), mitochondrial
DNA analysis (mtDNA), and Y-chromosome DNA analysis.
The use of animal, plant, and microbial DNA to provide leads that may link DNA
found on or near human perpetrators or victims to the actual perpetrator of
the crime.
Technologies that will enable DNA identification of vast numbers of samples
occasioned by a mass disaster or mass fatality incident.
Technologies that permit better separation of minute traces of male sexual assailant
DNA from female victims.
The initiative devotes $10 million in FY 2004 funding to benefit the state and
local criminal justice community through DNA research and development. It also
requests $9.8 million in FY 2004 funding to further expand the FBI's DNA research
and development program.
Establishing DNA Demonstration Projects
To further research the impact of increased DNA evidence collection on public
safety and law enforcement operations, the Attorney General will conduct rigorous
scientific research through demonstration projects on the use of DNA evidence
under the initiative. This research will help determine the scope of public
safety benefits that result when police are trained to more effectively collect
DNA evidence and prosecutors are provided with training to enhance their ability
to present this evidence in court.
Several jurisdictions will be selected to incorporate core training and evidence
collection requirements in their daily operations. At each site, one or more
law enforcement agencies will be chosen to implement extensive training on the
collection of DNA evidence and to increase the resources devoted to the investigation
and prosecution of these cases. Prosecutors will also receive training on how
to more effectively present DNA evidence and how forensic DNA technology may
be used to solve current and "cold" cases. Jurisdictions that received
increased training and resources will be compared with jurisdictions that did
not receive these benefits.
The resulting comparison will measure the impact of increased DNA evidence
collection on public safety and law enforcement operations. For example, projects
will examine whether there are increased crime clearance rates, whether DNA
aided investigations, the number of cases successfully prosecuted, the number
of cases where guilty pleas were obtained due to the presence of DNA evidence,
any financial savings resulting from the use of forensic evidence, and increased
responsiveness to victims. The information obtained will allow state and local
governments to make more informed decisions regarding investment in forensic
DNA as a crime-fighting tool. The initiative calls for $4.5 million in FY 2004
to fund these projects.
Creating a National Forensic Science Commission
To facilitate the ability of policymakers to assess the needs of the forensic
science community, and to stimulate public awareness of the uses of forensic
technology to solve crimes, the President has directed the Attorney General
to create a National Forensic Science Commission. The Commission will be charged
with two primary responsibilities: (1) developing recommendations for long-term
strategies to maximize the use of current forensic technologies to solve crimes
and protect the public, and (2) identifying potential scientific breakthroughs
that may be used to assist law enforcement.
The Attorney General will appoint Commission members from professional forensic
science organizations and accreditation bodies and from the criminal justice
community. These individuals will have broad knowledge and in-depth expertise
in the criminal justice system and in various areas of the forensic sciences
such as analytical toxicology, trace evidence, forensic biology, firearms and
toolmark examinations, latent fingerprints, crime scene analysis, digital evidence,
and forensic pathology, in addition to DNA. Judges, prosecutors, attorneys,
victim advocates, and other members of the criminal justice system will also
be represented on the Commission.
The Commission will study advances in all areas of the forensic sciences and
make recommendations on how new and existing technologies can be used to improve
public safety. The Commission will also serve as an ongoing forum for discussing
initiatives and policy, and may issue recommendations that will assist state
and local law enforcement agencies in the cost-effective use of these technologies
to solve crimes. The initiative devotes $500,000 in FY 2004 to the establishment
of the Commission.
4. Training the Criminal Justice Community
In order to maximize the use of DNA technology, under the President's initiative,
the Attorney General will develop training and provide assistance regarding
the collection and use of DNA evidence to the wide variety of professionals
involved in the criminal justice system, including police officers, prosecutors,
defense attorneys, judges, forensic scientists, medical personnel, victim service
providers, corrections officers, and probation and parole officers.
Key players in the criminal justice system should receive additional training
in the proper collection, preservation, and use of DNA evidence. Fundamental
knowledge of the capabilities of DNA technology is essential for police officers
to collect evidence properly, prosecutors and defense attorneys to introduce
and use it successfully in court, and judges to rule correctly on its admissibility.
Victim service providers and medical personnel likewise need to understand DNA
technology in order to encourage more successful evidence collection and to
be fully responsive to the needs of victims.
Law Enforcement Training
As the first responders to crime scenes, law enforcement officers should be
able to identify, collect and preserve probative biological evidence for submission
to crime laboratories. Improper collection can mean that valuable evidence is
missed or rendered unsuitable for testing. The initiative devotes $3.5 million
in FY 2004 to assist law enforcement in meeting the following training needs:
Basic "awareness training" on DNA evidence for patrol officers and
other first-responders;
Intensive training on identifying, collecting, and preserving potential DNA
evidence for evidence technicians, investigators, and others processing crime
scenes;
Training and education for investigators and responding officers on DNA databases
and their potential to provide leads in current and "cold" cases;
and
Training and information for law enforcement leadership and policymakers to
facilitate more informed decisions about effective DNA evidence collection and
testing.
Training Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys, and Judges
In order to achieve just results in cases involving DNA evidence, prosecutors,
defense attorneys, and judges should receive proper training on the use and
presentation of DNA evidence. The initiative devotes $2.5 million in FY 2004
to support:
Training and technical assistance for prosecutors to learn about solving "cold
cases" with DNA evidence, responding to post-conviction DNA testing requests,
and developing innovative legal strategies to optimize the power of forensic
DNA technology. Grant funds will be available for state and local prosecutors'
organizations for the development and delivery of training materials to assist
prosecutors in presenting this evidence before courts and juries, and in understanding
more about the value of DNA evidence in particular cases.
Training for defense counsel handling cases involving biological evidence on
the applications and limitations of DNA evidence. Grant funds will be made available
to continuing legal education programs or bar associations to provide training
and resources on forensic DNA technology.
Training for judges, who must be equipped with sufficient technical and scientific
knowledge to make appropriate rulings in cases involving DNA evidence. Grant
funds will be available to national judicial conferences and organizations.
Training For Probation and Parole Officers and Corrections Personnel
Probation and parole officers play a critical role in ensuring that offenders
are complying with their statutory obligations to provide DNA samples. Corrections
personnel often are responsible for obtaining DNA samples from inmates required
by law to submit such samples. Through training and education programs, these
professionals will be better equipped to ensure that samples are taken from
all individuals who are required by law to provide them. The initiative calls
for $1 million in FY 2004 to support this training.
Training for Forensic Scientists
The forensic science community has a critical need for trained forensic scientists
in public crime laboratories. The initiative will assist the development of
comprehensive training programs for a new generation of forensic scientists,
enabling new forensic scientists to receive in-depth training to prepare them
for analyzing actual casework in a crime laboratory. The initiative calls for
$3 million in FY 2004 to support this training.
Training for Medical Personnel
The initiative will also provide $5 million in FY 2004 to support the development
of training and educational materials for doctors and nurses involved in treating
victims of sexual assault. Trained medical personnel are needed to effectively
collect usable DNA evidence, while safeguarding the privacy rights and addressing
the needs of rape victims requiring sexual assault exams. These programs will
specifically target underserved areas of the country. Funding may also be used
to support the development of SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), SAFE (Sexual
Assault Forensic Examiner), and SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) programs.
Training for Victim Service Providers
Victims and those who advocate on their behalf must have access to information
about the investigative and courtroom uses of forensic DNA evidence. Victims
should be properly informed about how DNA evidence may impact their cases. In
situations involving post-conviction DNA testing, victim service providers must
be able to assist victims through the often-painful process of newly-ordered
DNA tests and re-opened court proceedings. To address the concerns of victims,
the initiative would develop additional DNA education and training programs
for victim advocates and victim service providers so that they may better assist
victims in all cases involving DNA evidence. The initiative calls for $5 million
in FY 2004 to support this training.
Source: Department of Justice
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