FY 2023 Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program

Changes in the State of Connecticut pension resulted in significant staffing losses in the second half of 2022 throughout the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The need to back fill critical positions, primarily among the sworn personnel, have placed significant fiscal stresses upon the Department since that time. These challenges have prevented the Division of Scientific Services from hiring sufficient additional staff or increasing the overtime budget to meet the State’s demand for forensic biology and DNA analysis. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection requests Federal grant funds to support the Division of Scientific Services to increase the capacity of the laboratory and reduce processing turnaround time.

Primary activities - The primary project activities are:
To use grant-funded overtime and outsourcing to reduce the number of backlogged forensic cases;
To use grant funds to purchase three -20C laboratory freezers to increase the laboratory’s testing capacity;
To use grant funds to hire a laboratory assistant 1 to increase the laboratory’s capacity to test convicted offender samples;
To use grant funds to have one scientist attend the annual grantee’s workshop.
Expected outcomes - The funding of overtime (185 cases) and outsourcing (265 cases) will reduce the casework backlog by 450 cases. The grant-funded processing will reduce the turnaround time for forensic casework processing. All eligible casework DNA profiles will be entered into CODIS and uploaded to NDIS, when appropriate. The purchase of the three laboratory freezers will increase the testing capacity of the laboratory. The hiring of a laboratory assistant 1 to process convicted offender samples will reduce the turn around time for offender processing.

Service area - The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection serves the entire State of Connecticut with a population of 3.6 million.

Intended beneficiaries - The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection serves over 100 local, state, and federal agencies and indirectly all the citizens of the State of Connecticut.

Subrecipients - This proposal has no subrecipients.