WV FY24 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative - Purpose Area 1

West Virginia Justice and Community Services (JCS) proposes expansion of the WV SAKI Program's Purpose Area 1. The purpose is to create a coordinated community response to reduce unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs), enhance investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases, and enhance victim notification, services, and support. JCS serves as grant administrator and organizer of the many subgrantees, and partners involved. Expected outcomes include investigation and prosecution of unresolved sexual assault crimes, expanded policies to assist investigators and victims throughout the state, and eventually a permanent sexual assault task force within the state. Victims are the intended beneficiaries. Subrecipient activities include testing of unsubmitted SAKs, entering relevant cases into CODIS, investigation of cases that had DNA hits, expansion of testing for those without DNA hits, and prosecution for relevant cases.