FY 2015 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program - Indiana State Police

Project Goals and Objectives
The goal of this proposal is to present a plan that will improve the DNA case turnaround time, reduce the DNA backlog and enhance the DNA analysis capacity of the Indiana State Police Laboratories.
The objective is to use a multifaceted approach to achieve these goals. Overtime, equipment, and training will be used to improve the efficiency of the Biology Section.

Project Design
The Indiana State Police Laboratory (ISP) has developed a comprehensive DNA backlog reduction program. This program uses overtime, equipment, supplies and training to impact the DNA backlog and reduce DNA case turnaround time.

ISP analysts will use overtime to analyze cases in-house. After review, suitable DNA profiles will be entered into CODIS.

Grant funding will be used to purchase equipment and supplies for analysis of forensic biology cases. The ISP expects to analyze 3000 forensic biology cases using funds from this grant.
Travel funds will provide training and continuing education for all DNA analysts and supervisors. Training invigorates analysts leading to improved efficiency and case turnaround times.
Funding will be used to conduct an external DNA audit.
The Indiana State Police (ISP) is the agency that is responsible for analyzing evidentiary material associated with criminal investigations for all state and local law enforcement agencies within the state of Indiana with the exception of Indianapolis/Marion County. ISP maintains four regional laboratories. Indiana Code designates the ISP as the agency responsible for conducting DNA analysis on DNA samples collected from all convicted felons in the state of Indiana; the ISP is responsible for storing and maintaining the resultant profiles in the Indiana DNA Database. The Indianapolis Regional Laboratory maintains the DNA Database Unit.
The ISP is facing budgetary constraints. State funds for overtime, equipment, supplies, training and contracts is non-existent or very limited. This has placed a burden on the Laboratory Division to maintain operations. The Federal funding from this award will help to alleviate this burden as well as assist in giving analysts more time and supplies to work forensic casework. This award will be specifically used for the following goals:
1. Reduce the backlog and turnaround time of forensic biology cases.
2. Increase the capacity and capabilities of the ISP casework laboratories.
3. Maintain continuing education for all analysts in the lab.
4. Ensure quality of the Biology Section.

nca/ncf.