With Governor Matt Bevin’s signature, Kentucky has become the latest state in the country to enact comprehensive rape kit reform legislation. The Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization working to end the backlog of untested kits nationwide, praised the passage of S.B. 97, which requires the Kentucky State Police to establish a rape kit tracking system by July 1, 2020.
In January, we heard from Kentucky State Senator Denise Harper Angel and survivor advocate Michelle Kuiper, who offered further insight into legislative efforts to end the backlog in Kentucky. This month, Michelle is back to share her journey to advocacy and provide useful tips for survivors who want to take action. Michelle is a powerful […]
Last week, we were able to sit down for a conversation with State Senator Denise Harper Angel and Michelle Kuiper, two extraordinary leaders in the rape kit reform effort in Kentucky. Sen. Harper Angel has championed legislative reform in Kentucky, sponsoring both a 2015 joint resolution to audit untested kits and the 2016 SAFE Act, […]
The Joyful Heart Foundation, a leader in the effort to provide cities and states with the resources they need to address their backlog of rape kits, today applauded the passage of Kentucky SB63, which takes meaningful steps to address the backlog of untested rape kits in the state.
Memphis Sexual Assault Kit Summit In October, Joyful Heart was proud to attend and give the keynote speech at the second annual Sexual Assault Kit Summit for Cities, hosted by the Memphis Sexual Assault Kit Task Force. Over 26 jurisdictions from 15 states came together to share and discuss strategies and best practices for addressing […]
Today, we have a guest blog from Kentucky State Auditor Adam Edelen. After Kentucky‘s legislature passed a new law mandating a statewide audit of untested rape kits, Auditor Edelen’s office was assigned to lead the charge and discovered over 3,000 kits. In an #ENDTHEBACKLOG exclusive, Auditor Edelen shares his insights on the process of counting […]
On September 21st, Kentucky State Auditor Adam Edelen announced findings from his office’s statewide audit of untested sexual assault evidence, revealing that Kentucky has a backlog of 3,090 kits. Of those, 1,859 were found in law enforcement agencies and 1,231 are being held at the Kansas State Police crime laboratory. The audit was mandated by […]
