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| Miss. to Take Inmate DNA Swabs |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/27/2003 |
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The Mississippi Crime Lab soon may be using DNA from convicted felons to help solve rape and homicide cases. Next month, the Mississippi Department of Corrections will start collecting saliva swabs from all inmates for DNA analysis before their release from prison; as of June 13, there were 20,403 inmates. State legislators in the 2003 session passed a bill authorizing MDOC to collect DNA samples from all felons. 'It's such an accurate test,' said Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (D-Brookhaven), one of three co-sponsors of the bill. 'I say capitalize on using it to the fullest (extent) we can.' Mississippi has been collecting blood only from convicted sex offenders for DNA analysis for several years. The DNA eventually will be placed in databases maintained by the state and FBI and compared to DNA left at the scenes of unsolved crimes, said Ken Winter, director of the state Crime Lab. Critics of the procedure are concerned that DNA testing would violate inmates' constitutional rights to privacy and their protection against illegal search and seizure. Others worry that it could lead to DNA being extracted from infants at birth and placed in databases. The state has obtained grant money to pay for 5,000 DNA profiles, Winter said. He plans to apply for additional federal grant money to get the remaining profiles done. The saliva-swab kits cost $1 to $2 each, Winter said. He expects private labs to charge $30 to $40 for each inmate DNA profile. Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said he expects the database will be one of law enforcement's best crime-fighting tools. 'There have been many strides made in forensics,' McMillin said. 'It's hard for some of us who have been in law enforcement a long time to really understand how we are doing these things now.' Winter said he does not foresee Mississippi collecting DNA from people until they are convicted, though he doesn't see anything wrong with it. 'To be honest,' he said, 'I don't see where it would be any different from fingerprinting someone upon arrest.' |
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