State of Wisconsin FY16 SAKI Grant Application

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutor’s offices to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions’ approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) - i.e. those SAKs that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory.

The goal of the SAKI is the creation of a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to these cases whenever possible through a victim-centered approach, as well as to build jurisdictions’ capacity to prevent the development of conditions that lead to high numbers of unsubmitted SAKs in the future. The holistic program provides jurisdictions with resources to address their unsubmitted SAK issue, including support to inventory, test, and track SAKs; create and report performance metrics; access necessary training to increase effectiveness in addressing the complex issues associated with these cases and engage in multidisciplinary policy development, implementation, and coordination; and improve practices related to investigation, prosecution, and victim engagement and support in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the testing process.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 National SAKI Program will provide funds to recipients to implement or enhance the comprehensive BJA model to address the issues that underline the problem of unsubmitted SAKs or to expand their existing SAKI project to include the collection of lawfully owed DNA samples from convicted offenders.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (WDOJ) is awarded an FY 2016 SAKI award under Purpose Area 1 to enhance the state’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. Wisconsin received an FY 2015 SAKI award to develop a comprehensive, statewide initiative to address the state’s backlog of unsubmitted sexual assault kits and to enhance the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases, while achieving the long-term goal of improving the criminal justice response to cases of sexual assault. The Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) has laid the groundwork by collecting preliminary data on the number of unsubmitted kits throughout the state, developing a prioritization protocol for submitting these kits, and formalizing a procedure for sexual assault victims to have evidence collected without making an immediate report to law enforcement. Through the FY 2016 SAKI Program, Wisconsin will build upon the work started and move forward by implementing a comprehensive, statewide sexual assault response strategy centered on the three elements of the BJA model: performance of an inventory of unsubmitted SAKs statewide; creation of a multidisciplinary working group; and designating a Site Coordinator. This award shall further enhance Wisconsin’s existing Statewide Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and allocate much-needed resources to local sexual assault service providers, and increase the Wisconsin State Crime Lab’s storage capacity. The WDOJ will coordinate the submission of the unsubmitted kits to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab (WSCL) and conduct an official inventory. Funds will be used to issue subawards to community based sexual assault service providers in the ten counties with the highest number of unsubmitted SAKs; enhance the WSSL storage facility through equipment purchases and renovations; and fund administrative costs necessary for the completion of the proposed project.

CA/NCF