Project Grant 15PBJA21GG02625POST

The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $1,500,000 Project Grant to the State of Illinois Attorney General's Office to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). The CIU will review and investigate violent felony cases where new, credible evidence of innocence has been discovered or where new technologies allow for testing of remaining evidence, with a focus on DNA analysis. Key activities to be supported include screening and reviewing potential...

This federal Project Grant award of $1,523,688.00 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820), will fund the establishment of the Dutchess County District Attorney's inaugural Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). The primary activities include creating two dedicated positions - a Unit Chief and a part-time Investigator - to conduct thorough case reviews and investigations of violent felony convictions where a credible claim of...

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office received a $1,523,688 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820). The funding will enable the establishment of a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) to review cases for potential wrongful convictions, prioritizing those involving violent felonies where DNA testing may demonstrate actual innocence. This includes hiring a new attorney and...

The City of Columbus was awarded a $400,919 Formula Grant under the Comprehensive Forensic DNA Analysis Grant Program (CFDA 16.036), administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant will fund the following activities over a 2-year period from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026: Salaries and fringe benefits for two police evidence technicians to process crime scene samples for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) Purchase of supplies,...

The Attorney General of Ohio received a $1,348,751 Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Comprehensive Forensic DNA Analysis Grant Program (CFDA 16.036). The funding will be used by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) to enhance its DNA testing capabilities and address growing caseloads after the closure of a regional crime laboratory. Key activities include purchasing DNA testing supplies and new centrifuges, funding two DNA...

This Project Grant award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820) provides $1,523,688 to the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) in Boston, MA to expand their existing hair review project and identify cases from 1970-2000 where serology was used to secure murder convictions. The project aims to identify cases where DNA testing could potentially establish actual innocence and improve reentry support. Key activities...

The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (NYC OCME) was awarded a $1,523,688 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820). The grant, awarded on October 1, 2024, will allow the OCME to increase its review of post-conviction cases for DNA testing from 5 to 10 cases per month. This funding will enable the OCME to locate evidence, process DNA, and retest evidence with new...

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit (CIEU) received a $600,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CFDA 16.746) program. The goal of the CIEU is to investigate claims of actual innocence and provide expungement screenings to facilitate record clearance. To accomplish this, the grant will fund a full-time assistant prosecutor to supervise and train part-time...

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded a $1,523,688 Project Grant under the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence program (CFDA 16.820) to The Regents of the University of Colorado (CU) in Boulder, CO. The grant funding will support CU's efforts to review two categories of cases in Colorado where postconviction DNA testing could potentially exonerate individuals: 1) 54 Denver cases involving the discredited hair microscopy discipline, and 2) over 600 cases previously rejected for DNA...

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.820 - Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence) provides $1,023,688 to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (NYC OCME). The funding will enable the OCME to locate and catalogue DNA evidence that may help exonerate individuals wrongfully convicted of violent felony offenses. Specifically, the award will fund overtime for evidence unit personnel to locate vouchered and unvouchered...