Project Grant 2015DJBX0796

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...

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office (BCPO) in Hackensack, New Jersey was awarded a $1,000,000 Project Grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program (CFDA 16.835). The funding will support the BCPO's creation of a digital evidence repository to streamline evidence sharing between county and municipal law enforcement agencies in Bergen County. Currently these agencies store digital...

This $389,621 award from the National Institute of Justice under the DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) supports Virginia Commonwealth University's (VCU) research to develop and validate a novel workflow for determining the time-since-deposition of epithelial cell samples. The goal is to provide a fast, high-throughput, and non-destructive analysis technique that can enhance the probative value of touch or trace biological evidence for DNA caseworking laboratories. The specific aims are...

The County of Washington Sheriff's Office in Hillsboro, Oregon received a $134,076 Project Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program (CFDA 16.742) to improve forensic science services. The funding will support construction of a new large evidence examination room with an ergonomic photography station for screening clothing and large items using a Crime-Lite ML Pro Rapid...

The Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) Forensic Sciences Division a $375,206 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant to enhance the quality and timeliness of forensic science analysis, including latent print processing. The grant will fund the purchase of advanced equipment such as a vacuum metal deposition system and FSIS-II color imaging system to improve latent print detection and documentation. It will also provide specialized...

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) in partnership with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation - Division of Forensic Sciences (DOFS) received a $668,265 FY2024 Paul Coverdell Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant aims to improve the timeliness of forensic evidence analysis and reduce the existing backlog of unworked cases in Georgia. Specifically, the funding will be used to pay existing crime lab scientists overtime to work an...

The Utah Department of Natural Resources will use $250,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants (CFDA 16.710) program to enhance law enforcement accreditation and evidence management. Specifically, the grant will be used to install temporary evidence lockers in patrol vehicles, establish secure long-term evidence storage facilities, and update evidence packaging materials. These improvements will help the department achieve...

This Project Grant award of $599,791 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.746 - Capital Case Litigation Initiative) supports the collaboration between the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) Innocence Program and the Boston College Innocence Program (BCIP). The funding will be used to: Expand staffing and contracting with impacted individuals and experienced litigators at CPCS and BCIP to address underrepresentation of women in wrongful...

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 County of Erie, New York received a $335,000 Formula Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Smart Prosecution Initiative federal grant program (CFDA 16.825). The two-year award, issued October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023, will support the Erie County Forensic Evidence Bureau in providing forensic evidence services to reduce crime and increase public safety. The Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating...