Justice Department Releases New Resource about Sexual Assault Kits

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the scientific research agency of the United States Department of Justice, today released a fact sheet about DNA testing of sexual assault kits. Investments in research and development have dramatically improved the science of forensic DNA testing and the understanding of sexual assault kits, but many people are unaware of the advances or are misinformed. The new resource clarifies the facts and defines the issues.

Five Things About Sexual Assault Kits explains the following:

1.  No one knows the number of kits nationwide that have not been submitted for testing.
2.  Little is known about the age of unsubmitted kits
3.  Submitting a kit to a crime lab does not mean the lab will obtain usable DNA.
4.  Even if the police have a suspect, testing a kit can be useful.
5.  The cost to test a sexual assault kit varies widely by jurisdiction

TITLE:       Five Things About Sexual Assault Kits

PUBLISHER: National Institute of Justice

WHERE:       www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/248675.pdf

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Related Links

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

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