DNA Data Bank Oversight Panel
Minutes of the March 15, 2023 Meeting
The meeting convened at 9:32 a.m.
Participating in the meeting were Lab; Cheryl Carreiro, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Sevasti Papakanakis; Daniel Renstrom, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Megan Olt, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Luke Larue; CSP-SONRA; Kate Ayers, DESPP-Legal; Regina Hebert, Judicial; Lisamaria Proscino, Office of the Attorney General; Lisa D’Angelo, Division of Criminal Justice; and Michael Gailor, Division of Criminal Justice.
The minutes of the meeting on December 14, 2022, were unanimously approved.
The lab reported that as of March 1, 2023, a total of 132,958 convicted offender samples have been submitted to the lab; 682 since December 1, 2022. Of these samples, approximately 7438 were determined to be duplicate submissions. One hundred twenty five thousand eight hundred seventy-nine are searching in CODIS. Approximately 80 convicted offender samples are waiting to be processed/entered into CODIS. There are approximately 20,600 profiles in the Forensic Index. The lab reported that 9,799 investigations have been aided so far by 10,197 confirmed hits. Approximately 180 candidate matches are under evaluation. The average time it takes to send out notification of the hit once it has been obtained is twenty-one days.
The lab reported that it has upgraded to CODIS 11 and that everything went smoothly. The lab also reported that since the local departments have resumed responsibility for doing the arrest warrants for individuals who have failed to provide a DNA sample, they have received several calls from departments asking about the procedure to take a sample. Regina Hebert noted that the departments should be instructed to refer those individuals to the probation department which will take the samples. Finally, the lab reported that there has been an increase in the number of duplicate profiles taken recently, some a very short time after the first profile was taken. It was agreed that persons responsible for taking the profiles should be reminded to update the electronic records as soon as feasible after taking one.
The Judicial Department reported that from October through December, 2022, it sent 281 initial and 143 warning letters to individuals whose sentences included a period of probation to remind them of their obligation to provide DNA samples. Judicial sent 45 initial and 37 warning letters to individuals who were not sentenced to a period of probation. Judicial collected 286 samples during that time period. Judicial requested the Department of Corrections collect 6 samples. Judicial reported that during the entire year ending on December 31, 2022, it sent 1,763 initial and warning letters to persons to sentenced to a period of probation and 418 letters to persons not sentenced to a period of probation. Judicial collected a total of 1,203 samples in 2022.
The Department of Correction provided a written report indicating that it has collected 322 samples since the last meeting of the Panel and 291 samples in the year to date. Currently, 64 inmates have refused to provide a sample in violation of the statutes. They have 70 inmates from which samples need to be taken.
The Sexual Offender Registration Unit of the DESPP reported that from October, 2022 through the end of February 2023, it registered 77 new sexual offenders, while the Deadly Weapon Offender Registration Unit has registered 178 new offenders. The Sexual Offender Registration Unit collected 45 samples while the Deadly Weapon Offender Registration Unit collected 6 samples.
There was no public comment.
The Committee went into executive session at 10:08 a.m. and came out of executive session at 10:18 a.m. As a result of deliberations in executive session, the following actions were directed with respect to the noted DNA profiles:
3/15/23 A – The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
3/15/23 B – The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
3/15/23 C – The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
3/15/23 D - The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
3/15/23 E – The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
3/15/23 F - The sample is to be destroyed and all records and identifying information pertaining to the person from whom the sample was obtained shall be purged from the Data Bank.
The next Committee is scheduled for June 14, 2023.
The meeting concluded at 10:20 a.m.