Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2016, $236,905)
The Wyoming State Crime laboratory (WSCL) is the agency that is responsible for analyzing evidential material associated with criminal investigations for all state and local law enforcement agencies and medical examiners within the State of Wyoming. Wyoming State Statute designates the WSCL as the agency responsible for conducting DNA analysis on DNA samples collected from all convicted felony offenders and qualifying sex offenders in the State of Wyoming. The WSCL is responsible for storing and maintaining the resultant profiles in the Wyoming State DNA Database.
The WSCL is facing mounting state budget constraints and is in the midst of a hiring freeze. The Federal funding from this award will help to alleviate burdens on the DNA unit, as well as assist in giving analysts more time and supplies to work forensic and database casework.
The Federal funding from this award will be used for projects with the following goals:
1. Reducing or maintaining the current forensic DNA case backlog through analyst overtime and supply purchases.
2. Reducing or maintaining the current forensic DNA database backlog through analyst overtime and supply purchases.
3. Increasing the capacity of the laboratory by hiring a serology technician to assist primarily in processing casework. While we seek to provide the majority of the technician's salary through this grant, the remaining funding for the technician will come from other sources.
4. Increasing the capacity of the laboratory by providing the funding for the biennial DNA audit required by FBI Quality Assurance Standards (QAS).
The WSCL can expect to reduce or maintain the DNA case backlog by the end of the award period. The agency expects to work at least 1,240 Offender samples and 145 cases with funding from this solicitation. nca/ncf