ABOUT DNA...

Currently, Alaska is one of twenty-three states across our nation that requires DNA to be taken on all felony arrests. Ohio and Utah passed legislation this year requiring DNA collection on felony arrests. Georgia recently introduced a bill; New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut and North Carolina are working on bills. We are getting close to having half of the states collecting DNA on Felony Arrest. It is critical that DNA is collected on felony arrests.

Collecting DNA on Arrest will:

  • Reduce number of repeat offenders being released into our communities
  • Reduce investigation time
  • Reduce prosecution time
  • Reduce court time
  • Reduce plea bargains
  • Reduce time victims have to wait for answers
  • Reduce number of victims and crimes being committed
  • Reduce the re-victimization of victims
  • Allow for consolidation of cases for serial criminals
  • Increase likelihood of Guilty Pleas
  • Increase successful prosecutions
  • Increase amount of time sentenced
  • Exonerate the wrongly accused
  • Solve more Cold Cases
  • Act as a deterrent to individuals
  • Ultimately reduce costs to state and local governments
  • Balance the scales of justice

Failure to pass DNA on arrest because of costs is incredibly shortsighted.  The amount of time wasted and the number of crimes committed will cost 10 fold.  (See study by Indiana Below).

Alaska also has a law that, effective July 2009, requires the State to process DNA into the FBI CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) within 90 days. That is GREAT!  We are the only state that mandates a turn-around time.  That is not enough!  We can't stop there.  We need to get all 50 states on board and get rid of all backlogs.  Federal law requires DNA on all felony arrests and the Supreme Court has ruled that it is constitutional and violates no rights.  They ruled it is "No more than a means of identification," calling it the modern day fingerprint.  It does not reveal medical history, psychological history, nor race.

At the end of May 2009 a US District Court in California ruled DNA on arrest did not violate any constitutional rights.
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For more information about DNA, please visit  www.dnaresource.com  www.dnasaves.org and www.dna.gov.

For studies showing the effectiveness of DNA go to: http://www.denverda.org/DNA/DNA_Arrestee_Database_Cases.htm

For other studies go to:

http://www.denverda.org/DNA/Forensic_DNA_Articles.htm  Number 33 is of particular importance. 

 

For more information email me at karen.dynamic@gci.net and I will forward them to you.


For studies on why we should collect DNA on felony arrest go to:

USA v Pool.pdf USA v Pool.pdf
Size : 111 Kb
Type : pdf

Click here to start typing your text

The Bonnie Craig case led to Alaska Crime Bill Amendments
Karen Foster has fought tirelessly to secure justice in the murder of her daughter, Bonnie Craig. Karen was sucessful in helping to bring about changes to Alaska's criminal justice system. The three amendments to Alaska State law are:
1) DNA will be collected on anyone arrested for a felony crime or a crime of violence against another person. This DNA will be entered into CODIS, the National DNA database. Previously, DNA was only collected from persons convicted of felony crimes or crimes of violence against another person.
2) A deadline of 90 days is imposed on the State for entering the DNA into CODIS, ensuring timely input of data.
3) The ten-year statute of limitations on kidnapping is removed.
In addition, Karen requested that two additional items be included for legislative consideration: 
1) The hiring of three more forensic staff at the existing Alaska State Crime Lab.
2) Conduct a reevaluation of payrates for existing staff at the Crime Lab.  After reevaluation the DOA determined the pay scales were adequate.  Starting pay is just over $13.00 per hour for a criminalist.  The Department of Public Safety received 31 applications for 3 positions.  Luckily, three qualified people were hired.

Articles about this can be found at http://www.adn.com/bonnie-craig/story/202947.html and http://www.aksenate.org/ellis/053107_end_of_session_ellis_gara.pdf

From www.dna.gov/state_profiles/Alaska/#howmanysamples
How many forensic DNA samples from Alaska are in the DNA database?
The number of forensic samples in the Alaska and national DNA databases is constantly changing as new crimes are investigated and changes are made to State laws that require the collection of samples from additional offenders. The FBI tracks the Number of samples from Alaska  in the national database—the National DNA Index System or NDIS. To learn more about forensic DNA databases, go here: http://www.dna.gov/dna-databases/ 

Alaska

 

Statistical Information
Total
Offender Profiles 10,954
Forensic Samples 685
Number of CODIS Labs 1
NDIS Participating Labs 1
Investigations Aided 214

Also from dna.saves.org, you an find links to other resources and information on DNA at: http://www.dna/gov/dna_resources/

During the 2007 Legislative Session, the Senate
approved House Bill 90, an omnibus crime bill
that included the first three items above as amend-
ments to State Law, in honor of Bonnie Craig.

On June 25, 2007, then-Governor Sarah Palin made
a public appearance outside of the Alaska Scientific
Crime Detection Lab in Anchorage to sign these
changes into legislation.

 

 

 


The video below is about SARE, an education program for rape victims and law enforcement personnel regarding the collection and processing of DNA after a rape has been reported. If Alaska public safety staff are unable to store this DNA effectively, the rapist may never be identified. After a victim has been raped and undergone the further humiliating process or the rape exam, they will be further victimized by a system that does not have the capability to analyze and store the evidence that may catch the perpetrator.

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