2015 State of Georgia Coverdell Application

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council submits this application on behalf of its partner state agency, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). GBI’s Division of Forensic Sciences (Crime Lab) operates seven laboratories located throughout the state. The laboratory system serves the entire state, which boasts a population of approximately 9.8 million1. The Crime Lab issues reports to approximately 1,000 criminal justice agencies. Through this grant, the Crime Lab proposes to use funding from this award for overtime pay to staff in order to facilitate faster entry of evidence into the GBI’s case management system as well as for data analysis and interpretation, preparation of forensic reports, and peer review. This overtime will be used by analysts and laboratory technicians to complete backlog requests or to complete requests less than 30 days old, preventing them from transitioning into the backlog. By utilizing the overtime in this way, both the backlog and the timeliness of reports will be positively impacted. These approaches support the attainment of the goals stated in the Crime Lab’s 2014 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan outlines the Crime Lab’s commitment to: Provide quality forensic analyses that meet the needs of the criminal justice community in Georgia; Foster a work environment that is conducive to the recruitment, retention, and development of DOFS employees; Maximize operational effectiveness of the laboratory system; and Expand communication to keep laboratory staff, customers and stakeholders informed.

nca/ncf