Alaska National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

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 FY 2017 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. In FY 2017, National SAKI Program funding is available under three Purpose Areas: Purpose Area 1: Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits; Purpose Area 2: SAKI for Small Agencies; and Purpose Area 3: Collection of Lawfully Owed DNA from Convicted Offenders to Assist with Sexual Assault Investigations and Prosecutions. Alaska Department of Public Safety will utilize FY17 funds to build on the work being done under the FY16 award and continue with the testing of the SAKs, investigation and prosecution of the cases that result from DNA testing, as well as focus on research driven policy development by partnering up with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Justice Center. The scope change request submitted September of 2021 adds the CODIS Hit Outcome Program (CHOP) to the project scope for this award. Purchasing and implementing CHOP for law enforcement to enter updated actions and follow-up on investigations on CODIS hits is the next step to improving outcomes for crime victims in the state. The program will provide a mechanism to track all CODIS hit letters that go out to Law Enforcement and prosecutors statewide