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Tennessee Halves Rape Kit Processing Time After High-Profile 2022 Killing Highlighted Delays

Increased funding and hiring, and a $1.85 million federal grant used to contract an outside lab, have contributed to the significant reduction in processing times for sexual assault kits, with turnaround now at 18 weeks compared to 45.4 weeks last August.

Overview

  • The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reduced the average processing time of rape kits from 45.4 weeks in August 2022 to 18 weeks by November 2023.
  • Highlighted following the high-profile murder of a jogger, the delays in processing rape kits led to increased funding and the hiring of additional employees.
  • A $1.85 million federal grant allowed the bureau to contract an outside laboratory to process more than 850 rape kits.
  • 47 out of the 50 vacancies for forensic lab positions have been filled, and the remaining positions are in the hiring process.
  • Strategies for further reducing the processing time include offering overtime, operating labs on weekends and contracting retired bureau workers for training.