Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2023, $2,500,000)
The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (KJPSC) requests 2023 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) funds to continue its SAKI Program in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General and Kentucky SAKI Taskforce. KJPSC will continue to partner with stakeholders and victims and use a methodical data-driven approach consistent with SAKI best practices to increase investigations and prosecutions of cold case sexual assaults and sexually motivated homicides. This effort will enhance public safety by (a) identifying and apprehending serial sex offenders through testing SAKs, (b) bringing justice to victims and reengaging them in the criminal justice process, and (c) preventing future violent crimes committed by these serial offenders. If funded, the following objectives are proposed:
Kentucky State Police Subaward: The Investigation allocation will fund 4 full-time investigators, a criminal analyst, and an administrative specialist to investigate SAKI cases, improve data management (ViCAP/CODIS) and assessment of the SAK testing process. The Automatically Updated Tracking Portal allocation will fund the purchase of the “CHECKPOINT Sexual Assault Kit Tracking” module, which will improve functionality of Barcoded Evidence Analysis and Statistical Tracking (BEAST) Laboratory Information Management System. The Optical Character Recognition of PDF Reports allocation will fund the purchase of the software needed to search by names/key words/phrases within Department of Library and Archives PDF laboratory reports. The Testing of Semen Exhibits allocation will give funding to process approximately 700 cases of archived DNA samples from SAK cases that can potentially identify perpetrators from past cold cases. The Overtime allocation will fund hours for KSP Lab and SAKI CCU as needed to assist in the testing, investigation, and prosecution process. Victim Advocate Travel allocation will fund travel expenses to increase use of victim advocates during the investigation process.
Louisville Metro Police Department Subaward: The Evidence/Administrative Specialist allocation will fund a position to support the Sergeant managing SAKI cases with investigations and prosecutions. The Overtime allocation will fund hours for investigators to assist in the SAK testing, investigation, and prosecution process.
Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center Subaward (CJSAC): The Site Coordinator allocation will fund a new full-time position responsible for overall SAKI project management. The SAKI Statistical Analysis Project allocation will fund a multi-faceted study of SAK data, including an economic analysis, victim notification reengagement analysis, decision-making predictor analysis based on victim notification reengagement data, and an impact study of mandatory SAK testing laws in coordination with training efforts to sexual assault throughout Kentucky.