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The West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services (WVDJCS) received $1.17 million in funding in FY2015 to create a coordinated community response to reduce the number of unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). With a supplemental $1-million award in FY2016, a state-level initiative helped form a multidisciplinary team to conduct an inventory of unsubmitted SAKs, assign designated personnel to pursue new leads, develop policies and protocols to provide trauma-informed victim notifications, and prosecute cases. West Virginia also created a new electronic data exchange to enable tracking SAKs through the criminal justice system.
In FY2018, WVDJCS received an additional $1-million SAKI grant to pursue the collection of lawfully owed DNA. The funding will go toward developing procedures to ensure consistency in collecting DNA samples from offenders (including offenders at correctional facilities) and also training personnel to ensure DNA collection procedures align with legal and laboratory standards. WVDJCS also received $996,678 in funding in FY2018 to allow for completion of testing previously unsubmitted SAKs across the state, continue cold case sexual assault investigations, and support entry of all criteria cases into the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP).
In FY2020, WVDJCS received an additional $252,860 in SAKI funding to continue work from previous SAKI funding years; this work includes submitting any remaining SAKs for DNA testing and subsequent upload into the Combined DNA Index System. The funding will also be utilized to support Marshall University's testing of secondary evidence for rural law enforcement agencies.
SAKI initially funded WVDJCS in FY2015; since that time, WVDJCS has used their funding to achieve several goals and milestonesincluding the following:
Find more information and resources from the West Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services.
For more information on the specific SAKI awards for this site, see the table below.
Year | Amount | Purpose Area |
---|---|---|
FY2015 | $1,170,800 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
FY2016 - supplemental award | $1,000,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
FY2018 | $996,678 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
FY2018 | $1,000,000 | Expansion of DNA Databases to Assist with Sexual Assault Investigations and Prosecutions: Collection of Lawfully Owed DNA from Convicted Offenders and Arrestee DNA Collections |
FY2020 | $252,860 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
Please direct all media inquiries to:
To learn more about WVDJCS's progress, read the following news and events.
Suspect in Westover sexual assault from 24 years ago arrested in Connecticut
Sam Kirk, 12WBOY, Aug 9, 2024
"DNA evidence and the combined effort of U.S. Marshals and law enforcement from multiple states led to a man accused of committing a sexual assault in Westover, West Virginia in 2000 to be arrested last month.
In May 2000, a victim reported a sexual assault to the Westover Police Department, but a suspect was never identified, according to a press release from the U.S. Marshals Service. However, in January 2021, authorities from California matched DNA evidence from a sexual assault case in Montana with evidence from the Westover case."
CT man arrested by U.S. Marshals, Waterbury police 24 years after alleged sexual assault in West Virginia
Dalton Zbierski, FOX61.com, Jul 23, 2024
"The Connecticut U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department teamed up on Tuesday to arrest a man in Connecticut wanted for a sexual assault he allegedly committed in West Virginia in May 2000, according to a release from the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was part of the West Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which the release said is funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
“The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases,” the release said."
Monongalia County Tackles Justice System Challenges with Two Key Hires
BNN Correspondents, Jan 6, 2024
In a bid to tackle prevalent issues within the justice system, Monongalia County, West Virginia, has welcomed two significant additions to its prosecutor’s office. Larry Hasley and Samantha Elkins have been introduced, with roles aimed at mitigating the backlog of untested sexual assault kits and the surge in child abuse and neglect cases, respectively.
Bill Requires Rape Kit Access Within 24 Hours
ABCNews.go, Jan 23, 2023
"A bill passed in the Senate Monday morning, requiring all West Virginia hospitals with emergency departments have a trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) available to treat victims 24 hours a day."
Martinsburg man charged in 22-year-old sexual assault case
Matthew Umstead, Herald Mail Media, Dec 17, 2020
A 58-year-old Martinsburg man has been charged with the September 1998 sexual assault of a Berkeley County female after authorities found that a DNA specimen obtained 22 years ago matched state DNA database information for a convicted offender.
Man pleads guilty to 24-year-old sexual assault
MetroNews, Mar 9, 2019
DNA from a 1995 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit leds to an arrest in West Virginia.
WV testing inventory of sexual assualt kits, contributing to national DNA database
Staff Reports, WVNews, Mar 7, 2019
During the process of testing their nearly 2,400 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits, West Virginia State Police has entered nearly 300 DNA profiles into CODIS, and received 106 hits.
WV Senate passes Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights for third year
Taylor Stuck, Charleston Gazette- Mail, Feb 1, 2019
West Virginia senate passes the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights for third year. This legislation outlines what sexual assault victims are entitled to and can expect in an investigation after their assault.
West Virginia's Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Information System Named Finalist for National Award
West Virginia, Mar 3, 2017
The West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Information System has been selected as one of 30 finalists for the 2017 Igniting Innovation Showcase held on March 14, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Information System was developed by the WV Division of Justice and Community Service and the WV State Police Forensic Laboratory in partnership with WV.gov. The system will enable tracking of sexual assault kits from the time they are sent to a healthcare facility through when they are tested and is an innovative improvement for the tracking and evaluation of sexual assault kits.
Partnership works to fulfill sexual assault kit initiative
Joe Thornton, The Herald-Dispatch, Oct 16, 2016
After receiving $1 million in funding from the federal government in 2015, West Virginia completed an inventory of nearly 1,000 sexual assault kits, began testing them, developed a tracking system, and created a group of skilled individuals to brainstorm how to prevent a SAK backlog in the future. A partnership between SAKI and the District Attorney of New York allows West Virginia to move forward with a victim-centered approach. To learn more, read the full article.
First arrest made under new sexual assault kit program
Alyssa Meisner, TriStateUpdate.com, Sep 28, 2016
After receiving funding to inventory and test its backlogged sexual assault kits, West Virginia’s state crime lab found a DNA match, and law enforcement personnel made their first arrest. To learn more, watch the full video.
West Virginia aims to eliminate untested sexual assault kits and improve evidence collection
Ian McQuinn, Business Wire, Sep 20, 2016
The West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services recently completed the development of a new online system that tracks sexual assault kits from the time they are shipped to a health care facility to when they are collected and returned for forensic testing. The system also collects information on the quality of the collected SAKs that will be used to identify areas of improvement and training opportunities. The new online tracking system enables the associated crime labs and police departments to track SAKs that are sent to a facility and when. To learn more about West Virginia’s new tracking system, read the full article.
Quick action in Cabell rape kit backlog case is expected
Courtney Hessler, The Herald-Dispatch, Sep 15, 2016
A serial rapist is now behind bars due to the results from testing backlogged rape kits in West Virginia. The perpetrator committed the crime in 2004, but was not implicated in the assault until 2016, after West Virginia received funding from the federal government to test all of its backlogged rape kits in cold storage. To learn more, read the full article.
Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided 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.