Patrick Kennedy: “I want to thank, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Scott, and the other Members of the Judiciary Committee for their hard work on this…”

“I want to thank, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Scott, and the other Members of the Judiciary Committee for their hard work on this important crime issue. In September of last year, I introduced, along with Congressman Chabot and Congressman Visclosky, The Violent Offender DNA Identification Act of 1999, H.R. 2810. This bipartisan measure is the predecessor bill to H.R. 4640, which I also was proud to cosponsor. These bills will put more criminals behind bars by correcting practical and legal obstacles that leave crucial DNA evidence unused and too many violent crimes unsolved. Every week we hear stories about DNA evidence. Whether it is a prisoner on death row for a crime he didn't commit who is released by DNA evidence or a criminal suspect finally brought to justice using DNA evidence, DNA is making headlines. Currently, all 50 states require DNA samples to be obtained from certain convicted offenders, and these samples can be shared through a national data base known as CODIS. The data base is installed in over ninety laboratories and nearly five hundred thousand samples are classified and stored in it. To date, the FBI has recorded hundreds of matches through DNA data bases, helping solve numerous crimes. As valuable as this system is, it is not being utilized effectively. The problems with the current system include backlog and jurisdiction. The FBI estimates that there are several hundred thousand DNA samples that have been collected, but still need to be analyzed.”