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| Ashcroft Unveils DNA Proposal |
| By Washington Post |
| Published: 03/13/2003 |
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Attorney General John D. Ashcroft unveiled a detailed proposal by the Bush administration today to spend $1 billion on DNA analysis over the next five years, vowing to eliminate a massive backlog that has left hundreds of thousands of samples untested nationwide. The proposal, which is included in President Bush's 2004 budget proposal, would fund a dramatic expansion of the FBI database that serves as a clearinghouse for DNA evidence nationwide, and would provide more money to states for collection and analysis of genetic evidence in criminal cases. The plan would significantly increase federal involvement in the use of DNA analysis to both identify criminals and exonerate those wrongly convicted of crimes. The National Institute of Justice estimates that as many as 350,000 DNA samples remain unexamined in homicide and rape cases nationwide, while up to 300,000 samples collected from convicted offenders have not been tested yet. Ashcroft, joined at a Washington news conference by 'America's Most Wanted' host John Walsh and rape victim advocate Kellie Greene, billed DNA technology as a way to solve crime and prevent more crimes from being committed. 'We can solve more crimes through DNA testing, and we can do it by eliminating the substantial backlog of DNA samples for the most serious violent offenses,' Ashcroft said. 'The president has directed the department to eliminate the backlogs completely within five years, and we will do so.' Greene, a Florida sexual assault victim whose attacker was identified through DNA testing, said that 'DNA can do so much.' 'To this day, the only reason I know what the rapist looks like is because DNA tells me,' said Greene, who founded the group Speaking Out About Rape (SOAR). The Bush plan calls for $233 million in annual federal funding over five years for various DNA analysis programs, an increase of more than $100 million annually. The money would be used to eliminate DNA testing backlogs, increase the capacity of state and FBI laboratories and improve training for scientists, prosecutors and others. The proposal also sets aside $5 million annually to pay for post-conviction testing that is frequently requested by convicts to prove their innocence. Although that amount is a small fraction of the total program, a senior Justice Department official said the money should be more than enough to meet demand nationwide. |
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