Fiscal Year 2014 Funding for DNA Analysis, Capacity Enhancement and Other Forensic Activities

• NCJ Number: 249146
• Author(s): Gerald LaPorte; Heather Waltke; Charles Heurich
• Date Published: December 2015
• Length: 13 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic); Grants and Funding

Annotation

Fiscal Year 2014 funding by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) - the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Justice Department - is reported for DNA analysis and laboratory capacity enhancement, as well as other forensic research, development, and evaluation.

Abstract

Since 2009, NIJ has supported the forensic science community with approximately $825 million awarded under various DNA capacity and other forensic science programs. The current report highlights the impact these efforts have had on the criminal justice system. The FY 2014 Department of Justice Appropriations Act included $117 million in appropriations for DNA analysis and capacity enhancement programs and for other local, State, and Federal forensic activities, including the purposes authorized under section 2 of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000." From this appropriation, $104.3 million was available to NIJ for award grants, contracts, and interagency agreements in three broad categories. These three areas were research, development, testing, and evaluation; direct funding for, or in support of, State and local police departments and crime laboratories; and technical assistance. Of the $104.3 million, approximately 74 percent went directly to support publicly funded crime laboratories, law enforcement agencies, and police departments to reduce the number of forensic DNA and DNA database samples awaiting analysis, to solve "cold" cases using DNA evidence, and to support the identification of missing persons. Approximately 21 percent funded DNA and other forensic sciences research and development; and 5 percent funded technical assistance to enhance the use of DNA and other forensic sciences in the criminal justice system. 1 figure and 15 notes