The arkansas state crime laboratory (ascl) is the sole accredited forensic laboratory serving the state of arkansas with a no-fee-for-service model benefitting all local, regional, and national…

The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) received a $529,258 Project Grant award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Comprehensive Forensic DNA Analysis Grant Program (CFDA 16.036). The funding will be used to upgrade the ASCL's genetic analyzers to increase its forensic DNA casework capacity and efficiency. Specifically, the grant will support the purchase, validation, and implementation of new genetic analyzers, as well as the addition of an Assistant Technical Leader to oversee the process. This is expected to enhance the ASCL's ability to process DNA evidence for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), supporting criminal investigations across Arkansas. The grant period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026.

The arkansas state crime laboratory (ascl) is the sole accredited forensic laboratory serving the state of arkansas with a no-fee-for-service model benefitting all local, regional, and national investigative agencies with jurisdiction within the state. The ascl proposes to use the BJA FY24 competitive DNA cebr program funding to increase forensic casework capacity by upgrading to new, more efficient genetic analyzers with better quality results. Purchasing, validating, and implementing new genetic analyzers is expected to require the addition of an assistant technical leader for the duration of the grant to ensure the speedy completion of goals. As the assistant technical leader will require experience with current lab methods, IT is anticipated that a current analyst will be required to fill the position. Any replacement analyst will require a minimum of one year of training. The ascl expects to be able to complete purchasing, validating and implementing the new genetic analyzers without significant negative impact to the current lab capacity while boosting overall efficiency and capacity with the new equipment.