WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Center for Victims

of Crime, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and Lifetime

Television released the following statement on the passage of the Advancing

Justice Through DNA Technology Act and the Debbie Smith Bill earlier this month:

 

"Just moments ago, the US House of Representatives passed the Justice for

All Act of (H.R. ), which incorporates the Advancing Justice Through

DNA Technology Act and the Debbie Smith Bill.  Earlier today, the US Senate

passed the identical bill.  The bill now heads to the White House, where

President Bush is expected to sign it within the next week.

   

"The bill provides funding to analyze the DNA evidence from 221,000 open

rape and murder cases.  We estimate that this funding will lead to solving as

many as 67,000 of these cases, and will result in thousands of rapists being

locked up.  Because of this expected result, and the tens of thousands of

future rapes that will likely be prevented by locking up 'professional

rapists,' we consider this to be the most important anti-rape legislation

Congress has ever considered.

   

"This bill has been a top legislative priority for RAINN, the National

Center for Victims of Crime and Lifetime Television for the past two years.

We want to commend the President and Attorney General Ashcroft for their

support of this important legislation, as well as the members of Congress who

were our allies and partners in this effort.  In particular, Senators Orrin

Hatch, Patrick Leahy, Joseph Biden and Jon Kyl and Representatives James

Sensenbrenner, William Delahunt, Carolyn Maloney, Mark Green and Jerry Nadler

and their great staffs have been tireless in their efforts to pass this

legislation and have worked closely with us to come to this satisfying

conclusion.  Our thanks also go to RAINN board member and founder of SOAR

(Speaking Out About Rape), Kellie Greene, who more than 18-months ago joined

Attorney General Ashcroft to introduce the administration's DNA initiative and

joined in our efforts to pass this important piece of legislation.

   

"Most importantly, our thanks go to Debbie Smith, for whom the key part of

the legislation is named, and her husband Rob.  They have been the public face

of this campaign, and its most effective advocates.  They have been our close

partners from the very beginning, and it was Debbie's last minute efforts

pushed the bill forward and broke the final logjam preventing passage.

   

"Thanks to this legislation, we estimate that 67,000 other victims just

like Debbie and Kellie will be able to see their rapists face justice and will

finally be able to rebuild their lives, as they have been able to do."

 

A recent Department of Justice report found that DNA evidence from 540,000

crime scenes nationwide, including 221,000 open rape and murder cases, is

sitting on shelves and in freezers, unanalyzed.  All that prevents law enforcement from solving many of these crimes and locking up rapists and

murderers are the results of DNA tests.

   

Specifically, the Justice for All Act of , which incorporates the

Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act and the Debbie Smith Bill:

 

     *  Creates the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program and authorizes

        $755 million over five years for grants to states and local

        authorities to eliminate the backlog of untested rape evidence kits.

     *  Authorizes grants to state sexual assault coalitions for programs

        under the Violence Against Women Act and expands VAWA to provide legal

        assistance for victims of dating violence.

     *  Provides grants for training law enforcement, judges and medical

        personnel on the use of DNA analysis in sexual assault cases.

     *  Provides funding to expand local and state witness assistance programs

        and crime victim notification programs, and extends enhanced rights to

        crime victims.

 

The National Center for Victims of Crime, RAINN and Lifetime have been

working together for more than two years, along with rape survivors including

Debbie Smith, to raise awareness about this issue and to urge Congress to

eliminate the DNA backlog.  More than 110,000 Lifetime Television viewers

signed an online petition in support of this legislation.