CJCC reports backlog in DNA collection; county will map process to improve CODIS submissions

A representative of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council told the committee the county has a backlog of required DNA samples that need to be submitted to the State Crime Lab database (CODIS) and said staff will map the process to identify who does what and where improvements are needed.

Sarah, representing the CJCC, said state law requires DNA collection for people convicted of certain offenses and for those charged with violent felonies; the county has a backlog of missing entries the sheriff’s department is working to address. She said the county will document the steps and flow of communication to identify gaps and add “a little bit more teeth” to the process so samples are collected and entered consistently.

Sarah and other speakers said the backlog was exacerbated by remote court appearances during COVID-era procedures, where defendants could enter pleas by Zoom and then were directed to the sheriff’s office to provide DNA; in some instances people did not follow through. Sarah said CODIS submissions are not public ancestry databases and clarified the distinction between CODIS and public genealogy databases used in some investigative reporting.

A committee member asked whether child support can access DNA collected by criminal justice agencies for paternity testing. The child support representative said they must perform their own DNA collection for paternity purposes and do not have access to the criminal DNA database.

No formal action was taken; the sheriff’s department and CJCC staff will continue working to map and shore up the collection process.