OTTAWA, ON—STACS DNA, the sample-tracking software company, today announced that Washington, Michigan and Arizona have all selected Track-Kit, the secure system that provides sexual assault kit (SAK) tracking and status updates 24 hours a day to everyone involved in collecting and processing sexual assault cases, including the survivor. The system provides end-to-end traceability to ensure accountability throughout the process.
According to the FBI, more than 130,000 rapes were reported in the U.S. in 2016. Previously, survivors had no way to know if their kit was being tested, and many waited years or decades to be contacted. Many states are enacting legislation to track SAKs and inform survivors of results. This requires sharing information with thousands of users annually across the jurisdiction.
“Since 2014, we’ve collaborated with more than half the state agencies and sexual assault task forces in the United States. Given different states’ diverse requirements, we built Track-Kit to be highly configurable and secure so that we can deploy across any state very quickly,” said Jocelyn Tremblay, President and COO, STACS DNA. “We’ve worked with forensic DNA labs for almost 20 years and our customers trust us to deliver exactly what they need.”
Each user has their own secure portal – the medical facility, law enforcement agency, DNA laboratory, outsourcing/private laboratory, prosecutor, kit distributor, and, most importantly, the survivor. Track-Kit traces every kit at every step from inventory to collection at medical facility to survivor notification to prevent delayed and lost kits and help the state meet its processing and reporting deadlines.
Here’s how it works:
- At the hospital, nurses scan kits to start the tracking process. Track-Kit notifies law enforcement when kits are ready for pickup.
- Track-Kit records when police officers pick up the kits, log them into the evidence room and deliver them to the DNA laboratory.
- Lab staff can view all kits across their jurisdiction that have been collected and are in transit to the lab. Staff is notified if delivery or lab testing is late.
- Track-Kit captures results such as CODIS hits, why a kit is not tested and the location of non-tested kits.
- Prosecuting attorneys can review information on kits assigned to their jurisdictions.
- Survivors receive personal login credentials and can opt-in to receive email or text notifications on their mobile devices or computers. Track-Kit discreetly sends status updates and results, and also gives access to relevant resources and contact information in multiple languages.
Track-Kit assures ironclad security and privacy protection, which is paramount for criminal justice systems. To meet CJIS requirements for federal, state and local governments, Track-Kit is hosted in the Microsoft Azure Government cloud and does not store any identifying information related to sexual assault kits, which is especially important to survivors. Every access to Track-Kit is controlled by robust security technologies and policies.
STACS DNA will provide more information on each state’s Track-Kit implementation in upcoming announcements.
ABOUT STACS DNA
STACS DNA offers sample tracking software for timeliness, transparency and accountability. Track-Kit™ tracks sexual assault kits statewide, preventing delayed or lost kits, while keeping all stakeholders informed 24/7. STACS® software is the hub of integrated DNA labs, maximizing case throughput and minimizing risk and errors. In business since 2000, our exceptional team combines IT and scientific experise. Our customers are federal, state, regional and local agencies, including many of the largest forensics DNA labs in North America.
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