Sacramento Cold Case Justice

The Congressionally Recommended Awards Program, authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects recommended by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-117, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 2010 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY2010 Department of Justice Appropriations Act.

The City of Sacramento will utilize its FY 2010 Congressionally Recommended award funds to continue to support the Sacramento Cold Case Justice Project that improves the quality and timeliness of solving cold cases with DNA. Goals for this project are procedures that will continue to reduce the backlog of unsolved violent crimes and to maximize the use of the increasing amount of DNA evidence available due to the implementation of California Proposition 69 on January 1, 2009. The Sacramento Cold Case Justice Project will meet these goals by identifying unsolved cases with biological samples, prioritizing those cases for forensic testing, focusing on the investigation, and submitting for prosecution the cases in which a DNA match occurs.

NCA/NCF