DNA Data Bank Oversight Panel 

Minutes of meeting of December 8, 2021 meeting

The meeting convened at 9:34 a.m.

Participating in the meeting were Sevasti Papakanakis, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Carll Ladd, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Patricia Johannes, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Megan Olt, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Daniel Renstrom, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Michael Aiello, Judicial; David Maiga, Department of Correction; Elizabeth Tugie, DOC; Sgt. Michael Pirolli, CSP-SONRA; Robert Dearington, Office of the Attorney General; Janet Ainsworth, DESPP- Legal; Kathleen Ayers, DESPP-Legal; Robert Meredith, Innocence Project; Michael Gailor, Division of Criminal Justice.

The minutes of the meeting on September 8, 2020, were unanimously approved.

The lab reported that as of December 1, 2021, a total of 129,968 convicted offender samples have been submitted to the lab; 543 since September 1, 2021. Of these samples, 7252 were determined to be duplicate submissions. One hundred twenty two thousand three hundred ninety five have been profiled and reside in CODIS. Approximately 281 convicted offender samples are waiting to be processed/entered into CODIS. There are 19,405 profiles in the Forensic Index. The backlog of forensic cases includes six hundred forty-seven assigned to DNA. The lab reported that 8,548 investigations have been aided so far by 8.737 confirmed hits. Approximately 95 candidate matches are under evaluation. The average time it takes to send out notification of the hit once it has been obtained is seventeen days. The lab also reported that several of its members attended the annual national CODIS meeting; a new version of the CODIS software should be coming online in the early part of 2022; authorization has now been obtained for the immediate entry of profiles into the CODIS data bank in emergency situations.

The Judicial Department reported that from July through September 2021 it sent 231 initial and 97 warning letters to individuals whose sentences included a period of probation to remind them of their obligation to provide DNA samples. Judicial sent 57 initial and 22 warning letters to individuals who were not sentenced to a period of probation. Judicial collected 206 samples during that time period. Judicial sent 13 requests for warrants to the State Police for individuals who failed to provide a sample and requested the Department of Corrections collect nine samples. Judicial will work with representatives of the Department of Correction and the State Police to order more collection kits.

The Department of Correction reported that it has collected 610 samples from inmates in the year to date, including 236 since the last report. Currently, 99 inmates have refused to provide a sample in violation of the statutes. They have 94 inmates from which samples need to be taken.

The Sexual Offender Registration Unit of the DESPP reported that from September 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021, it registered 68 new sexual offenders, while the Deadly Weapon Offender Registration Unit has registered 86 new offenders. The Sexual Offender Registration Unit collected 22 samples while the Deadly Weapon Offender Registration Unit collected 2 samples.

The discussion regarding the effect of a pardon was tabled until Joseph Lopez from the Office of the Public Defender could be present.

The Committee expressed its thanks and appreciation to both Patricia Johannes and Janet Ainsworth for their contributions to the Oversight Committee and the people of the State of Connecticut.

The Committee set the following dates for meetings in 2021:

March 9, 2022
June 8, 2022
September 14, 2022
December 14, 2022

At 10:10 a.m., the Committee went into executive session. The executive session was concluded at 10:27 a.m. As a result of the discussion that took place in executive session, the following actions are being taken:

Sample 12-2-2021 A – The information relating to this profile will be purged from the data bank and the sample destroyed.
Sample 12-8-2021 B – The information relating to this profile will be purged from the data bank and the sample destroyed.
Sample 12-8-2021 C – Another sample will be sought from the individual named.
Sample 12-8-2021 D – Another sample will be sought from the individual named.
Sample 12-8-2021 E – Another sample will be sought from the individual named.
Sample 12-8-2021 F - The information relating to this profile will be purged from the data bank and the sample destroyed.
Sample 12-8-2021 G - The information relating to this profile will be purged from the data bank and the sample destroyed.

The meeting was concluded at 10:29 a.m.