The state of georgias criminal justice coordinating council (CJCC), the state administering agency for formula grant programs from the offices for victims of crime, and violence against women,…

The state of georgias criminal justice coordinating council (CJCC), the state administering agency for formula grant programs from the offices for victims of crime, and violence against women, national institute of justice, and the bureau of justice assistance, is pleased to submit this application for the bureau of justice assistances FY 2023 national sexual assault kit initiative (SAKI) grant in partnership with the state expert committee of the state of georgias sart project, the georgia sexual assault kit initiative task force (the task force), the georgia prosecuting attorneys council (the PAC), the dekalb county district attorneys office, the cobb county district attorneys office and the georgia bureau of investigation (the GBI). As georgias executive criminal justice and victim services agency, CJCC and its partners will use funds provided under purpose area 4 to expand the scope of existing cold case work and to provide resources needed for additional sexual assault kit testing. Through this grant program, CJCC and its partners aim to 1) enhance existing cold case homicide projects and 2) increase the existing investigative capacity for sexual assault cold cases. These objectives will be achieved via a combination of the following: providing advanced DNA testing to jurisdictions statewide, investigating cold case sexually motivated homicides by hiring two part-time investigators, providing the services of a cold case investigative consultant to aid in the examination of cases, providing direct advocacy and counseling services to sexual assault victims and families of the deceased to ensure a comprehensive and trauma-informed approach to investigations, and increasing resources to the existing georgia SAKI task force for statewide support and technical assistance. The ultimate goal of the project is to achieve an increased statewide response to cold case sexual assaults and sexually motivated homicides in which offenders are held accountable for these violent crimes.