Describing the process and quantifying the outcomes of the Cuyahoga County sexual assault kit initiative

Purpose: This is a case study of an early adopter jurisdiction addressing its large number of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) and the first study to describe and quantify an unsubmitted SAK initiative's process and outcomes from testing to disposition. Methods: We present a process map detailing the progression of a SAK and provide descriptive statistics as to which cases proceed or fail to proceed and the time and resources expended. Result: At a third of the way through their initiative to test, investigate, and prosecute all unsubmitted SAKs, Cuyahoga County had DNA hits for 39% of all previously unsubmitted SAKs, almost 1000 new DNA profiles added to the federal DNA databank, indictments on 25% of all completed investigations, and convictions on 76% of all indicted cases. Results also highlight the large number of serial sex offenders that have been identified and implications for promising practices and policy changes resulting from the initiative. Conclusion: These findings serve as a framework for other jurisdictions addressing their unsubmitted SAKs for cross-site comparisons and forecasting and speak to the value of addressing unsubmitted SAKs nationwide and testing and investigating all SAKs, including stranger and non-stranger SAKs and those without a DNA hit.