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Show moreThis brief explains how the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the research team collaborated to identify individuals who owe DNA, swab eligible offenders who owe, and followed up after their DNA is entered into CODIS. This reporting addresses the issues that arise when lawfully owed DNA is not collected from offenders, explains the process by which we conducted a census of individuals who lawfully owe their DNA, articulates the outcomes of conducting the census (e.g., statistics on the number of individuals who owe their DNA in Cuyahoga County), and recommends approaches that other jurisdictions (within and beyond Ohio) could take to address issues in collecting lawfully owed DNA.
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Show moreIn this research brief, we present final outcomes for individuals in Cuyahoga County who lawfully “owe” DNA – meaning DNA that should have been collected because of a qualifying criminal offense(s) but was not. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and researchers from the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University collaborated on a project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to: (a) identify individuals who owe DNA, (b) collect swabs from eligible suspects who owe, and (c) follow up on what happens after their DNA is entered into CODIS (the federal DNA database). The findings presented in this brief detail the outcomes of our efforts, including how many people who owed DNA have now been confirmed to have their DNA in the CODIS, and the number and types of crimes to which these individuals have now been connected. The findings highlight the strong probative value of DNA in criminal investigations and the importance of ensuring DNA is collected from those who lawfully owe. Recommendations and lessons learned are provided for other jurisdictions that are addressing their own owed DNA issues.
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Show moreIn this research brief, we assess the integration of victim advocacy on the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force created a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to focus solely on cold cases of sexual assaults, and the MDT uniquely incorporates victim advocates. The research team observed how the victim advocates influenced the MDT to assess (a) the integration of the victim advocates into a Task Force, (b) how well victim-centered behaviors and attitudes were exhibited by all members of the Task Force, and (c) whether people believed the integration of advocates or victim-centeredness impacted the Task Force outcomes. The findings highlight the utility of including victim advocates as full team members and how their participation influences investigation and prosecution. Recommendations are provided for other jurisdictions interested in implementing victim advocates onto their cold case investigations.
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Show moreStarting in 2016, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the research team collaborated to identify individuals who owe DNA, swab eligible offenders who owe, and followed up after their DNA is entered into CODIS. This brief focuses on the second and third phases this project—the swabbing, the following up, and disseminating the results. As an assessment of the efficacy of changes to practice, this report explains the process and outcomes of swabbing and submitting swabs of individuals who owe DNA in Cuyahoga County and the outcomes of what happened after a person’s DNA was entered into CODIS. The findings and recommendations serve as a framework for other jurisdictions addressing their issues with owed DNA.
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