FY 2018 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Forensic Laboratory is seeking funds to address a backlog of cases for DNA testing in the Forensic Biology section. There has been a significant increase in submissions in the past several years, largely due to increased submissions for non-violent crimes, such as burglaries, car thefts, and criminal possession of weapons. The laboratory has evaluated the workflow to increase efficiency utilizing Lean Six Sigma principles; however, the laboratory has continued to have difficulty in reducing the number of cases in the backlog. A large part of this difficulty was due to the validation, implementation, and training associated with bringing a number of updated methods and software packages online for use in casework. The largest of these projects was the implementation of the Globalfiler and Yfiler Plus amplification kits, which was mandated in part by the FBI in order to continue participation in the CODIS database, as well as the validation and implementation of the STRmix probabilistic genotyping software.

The UCPO Forensic Laboratory also seeks funding to support one full-time grant funded analyst, one full-time laboratory technician, and one part-time contracted analyst in the processing, reporting, and review of DNA casework. The laboratory has utilized these staff members for approximately four years, and the ability to use them in their current capacity is vital to the success of the project goals.

NCA/NCF