END THE BACKLOG is an initiative of the JOYFUL HEART FOUNDATION
New Jersey
New Jersey has achieved four pillars of reform: statewide inventory, testing backlogged kits, developing a statewide rape kit tracking system, and granting survivors the right to know the status of their rape kits.
New Jersey has achieved four pillars of reform: statewide inventory, testing backlogged kits, developing a statewide rape kit tracking system, and granting survivors the right to know the status of their rape kits.
Statewide Inventory
Yes, the state carried out a one-time inventory.
New Jersey carried out an inventory of untested kits through non-legislative means.
Test Backlogged Kits
In-Process, the state has committed to testing its backlogged kits.
New Jersey is eliminating its backlog through non-legislative means.
Test New Kits
No, the state has not mandated testing.
According to the law, how much time after a rape kit examination do hospitals have to notify law enforcement that a kit is ready to be picked up?
n/a
According to the law, after being notified, within what time frame is law enforcement required to pick up the kit?
n/a
According to the law, after picking the kit up, within what time frame is law enforcement required to submit the kit to the lab?
n/a
According to the law, after receiving the kit, within what time frame is the lab required to test the kit?
n/a
Does the law allow crime labs to outsource kits for testing if they are unable to meet the deadline?
n/a
Implement Tracking System
Yes, tracking system in use.
Does the law state that the tracking system should track initial collection at hospital, inventory and storage by law enforcement, and testing and storage by state labs?
Yes
Does the law state that the tracking system should track if kit a has been destroyed?
No
Does the law allow all agencies who participate in the tracking system to update the status of a kit?
Yes
Does the law state that the tracking system should have a victim portal?
Yes
Does the law require law enforcement, labs, and hospitals to participate in the tracking system?
No
Does the law state that all previously untested kits should be entered into the system?
No
Victim's Right To Know
Yes, the state has granted victims the right to notice and be informed on the status of their kit.
Do victims have the right to receive information of the location, testing date, and testing results of their kit?
Yes
Do victims have the right to be informed when there is any change in the status of their case?
Yes
Do victims have the right to receive notification before destruction of their kit?
No
Are victims granted further preservation of the kit or its probative contents?
No
Are victims provided with the contact information for the designated liaison(s) at the corresponding law enforcement agency at the time that a kit is collected?
No
Do victims have the right to receive a physical document identifying their rights under law?
No
Fund Reform
No, the state has not allocated any of its own funds towards reform.
n/a
Take Action Today to Bring Further Rape Kit Reform to New Jersey
On July 30, 2025, Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued Directive 2025-1, which details the responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in handling rape kits — including hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and crime laboratories — regarding the use of the rape kit tracking system.
In April 2025, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office launched a statewide sexual assault kit inventory dashboard. According to the dashboard, New Jersey has 5,468 backlogged kits through April 2023, plus 212 from later in 2023 and 175 in 2024, totaling 5,873 kits.
In 2025, New Jersey enacted S715 / A908, a law that requires the attorney general to establish a statewide rape kit tracking system. Read our letter of support here.
On August 20,2024, Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued an amendment to the state’s standing directive on Procedures and Guidelines for Law Enforcement Testing, Tracking, Storage, Retention, and Destruction of Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Kits. This directive issues a new mandate to law enforcement to submit all reported SAFE Kits for testing, prospectively and retroactively with timelines.
In 2024, Senator Cryan introduced S3089, legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to submit rape kits for testing in 10 days of collection; to report the number of unsubmitted kits to the state police within 45 days, and make arrangements within 180 days to submit all those untested kits to the crime lab for testing. The bill mandates the state police, within 120 days, to present a plan to the Governor, Attorney General, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the General Assembly, for testing all previously untested kits and the necessary funding to do so. In addition, the Attorney General would be tasked with developing guidelines for the submission and analysis of sexual assault evidence.
In 2024, New Jersey enacted S1017, a law that grants victims the right to be informed of any results, updates, status, and location of their rape kits.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General $2.5 million to advance sexual assault kit testing and strengthen statewide investigative efforts.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded Ocean County $500,000 to assist with the investigation of 29 cold case homicides, many of which are believed to be sexually motivated.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded a second grant to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety. The grant is for $1,400,000 and will be used to support the investigation of unsolved cold cases through advanced DNA testing.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety $2,000,000 to establish a rape kit tracking system.
In 2023, New Jersey Attorney General released Directive 2023-1, which had several implications in the way rape kits are handled in the state. The directive calls for all newly collected reported kits to be submitted to the lab for testing as soon as possible and not later than 10 days unless certain authorities review that case and recommend against it. Under the directive, unreported kits are to be held for 20 years. The AG also calls for a county based rape kit tracking system to be established.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the Department of Law & Public Safety $1.5 million to investigate and prosecute cold case sexual assaults.
In 2020, New Jersey legislators introduced two bills. A3683 would have granted survivors the right to be informed of whether a DNA profile of an assailant was obtained, if it was entered into any relevant data bank, and if it had a match. This bill failed to pass.
A3680 would have mandated rape kit handling and testing timelines. The bill would have required law enforcement agencies to submit a kit to a crime lab within 10 business days, and the lab to analyze the kit within six months. The bill also would have mandated each law enforcement agency to send the number of unsubmitted kits to the lab within 45 days, and the law enforcement agency and the superintendent to submit or make arrangements to submit all the kits to the lab within 180 days. This bill failed to pass.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the Department of Law & Public Safety $918,058 to investigate and prosecute cold case sexual assaults.
In 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed S1216, which required a one-time inventory of all untested rape kits in the state. This legislation was New Jersey’s first step toward comprehensive rape kit reform. Under the law, the attorney general—in consultation with the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault—was required to conduct a survey of rape kits in the possession of law enforcement agencies in this state that had not been submitted to a laboratory for testing. The survey was required to include, but not be limited to, questions concerning agency policies and procedures governing the submission of rape kits to an approved forensic laboratory for testing, including specific submission criteria, timelines, and survivor notifications; agency policies and procedures for logging, tracking, and storing rape kits; and descriptive, statistical, and other relevant information about the rape kits currently in the agency’s possession. The bill required the attorney general to distribute the survey to all law enforcement agencies in the state and required these agencies to submit responses in a timely manner.
In 2018, the New Jersey Office of the State Auditor released an inventory report on the sexual assault examination process in New Jersey. The audit found that many kits at law enforcement agencies were not submitted to the state forensic labs for processing. The report pointed at deficiencies in tracking kits and inconsistencies in policies and procedures across different agencies. The Office of the Attorney General released a response and stated that they would ensure counties submitted their rape kit handling policies and procedures to the office. The response also included a statement that the office would create a working group to assess the feasibility of a statewide tracking system.
The Trenton Police Department (TPD) has not fully responded to our Freedom of Information Act request. TPD stated that they did not have any documentation regarding rape kits collected or submitted for testing. In December 2016, Trenton denied our second FOIA request.
The Atlantic City Police Department (ACPD) did not fully respond to our records request. ACPD stated that the total number of kits collected between 2004 and 2014, and the total number of these that remain in their custody, are “unknown.” ACPD took no additional measures to attempt to provide this information. As such, we were unable to ascertain the number and testing status of rape kits in the custody of ACPD.
As of November 2014, Camden indicated that “no records exist” regarding the number of rape kits collected or stored by the police. As such, we were unable to ascertain the number and testing status of rape kits in the custody of the Camden Police Department.
In 2014, The Accountability Project issued open records requests to bring the number of untested kits in Atlantic City and Camden to light. In 2015, we issued an open records request to bring the number of untested kits in Trenton to light. As of March 2017, we have closed our inquiries into these three cities.
Accountability
We have issued public records requests, through the Freedom of Information Act, to the following jurisdictions in New Jersey to discover whether they possess any untested rape kits.
For Immediate Release: September 4, 2024 Contact: Olivia Hall, media@endthebacklog.org NEW YORK – Today, the Joyful Heart Foundation celebrates Governor Murphy’s signing of New Jersey bill S1017/A3748 into law. This bi-partisan bill dramatically extends protections throughout the state through ensuring that every survivor who undergoes a sexual assault kit exam is entitled to notification about […]
The Joyful Heart Foundation today applauded New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s signing of S. 1216, which requires a one-time inventory of all untested rape kits in the state. This legislation is New Jersey’s first step toward comprehensive rape kit reform.
The Joyful Heart Foundation, a leader in the effort to eliminate the national rape kit backlog, today criticized law enforcement in Atlantic City, Camden and Trenton for hindering efforts to obtain information about the number of untested sexual assault kits in their custody. “The rape kit backlog represents a failure of the criminal justice system to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable. We can and must do better,” said Ilse Knecht, Director for Policy and Advocacy.
