Local Response

While the Joyful Heart Foundation focuses primarily on state-level reform, it is important to recognize that many local jurisdictions are carrying out rape kit reform on their own. Throughout the country, mayors; city councils; city and county commissioners; city comptrollers; and other local elected officials have taken action to address the backlog of untested rape kits in their jurisdictions.

Inventory of Untested Kits

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Alabama received a series of federal grants, totaling up to $1.5 million, to address untested rape kits by inventorying all kits in the county, creating a tracking database, and hiring court advocates to help survivors throughout the criminal justice process.

Mandating Kit Testing Timelines

In 2017, the Albuquerque City Council passed R-16-143, a resolution establishing timeframes and practices for the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) to use when processing rape kits. The resolution required APD to submit all newly collected kits to a crime lab within 10 business days, and required labs to test kits within three months of receipt. The resolution allowed APD to outsource testing the kits if they were unable to meet the deadlines. The resolution also required the chief of police to annually report data on untested kits, increasing transparency and accountability around rape kit handling processes in the city.

Protocol for Notifying Survivors

Individual jurisdictions can also create a protocol for notifying survivors on the whereabouts of their kits, and whether they have been tested or not. An example of this is the Mobile Police Department, which launched the Promise Initiative: a project that aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases through a comprehensive, survivor-centered, and trauma-informed approach.

In addition to federal grants, funding is often available at the state and local levels, both through public funds and private foundations. Several jurisdictions have also conducted fundraising campaigns to secure private donations for rape kit testing. Additionally, many private crime labs offer discounted rape kit testing to jurisdictions that send a large amount of untested kits at one time.