2015 FOIA Request
FOIA Documents
Jurisdiction Type
Laboratory
Response
Untested Kits Discovered
6
Why did we send the FOIA?
In 2015, Joyful Heart issued public records requests to 22 medium sized jurisdictions for which we did not have any or had very little information about their untested rape kits.
What did we discover?
Through our efforts, we have learned that the FBL tested 99% of all rape kits received between 2005 and 2015 by February 2016. In Rhode Island, hospitals send non-reported or unreported kits directly to the FBL for storage. Those kits are not tested unless a survivor chooses to report their assault. The FBL reported receiving 1,507 unreported kits for storage between 2005 and 2015.
Why Accountability?
Right now, we do not know the full extent of the national rape kit backlog because few states require law enforcement agencies to count, track, or test rape kits. The Accountability Project aims to bring greater transparency and accountability to rape kit testing practices across the country.