- 2 years ago
On Thursday, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) & Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the launch of a new statewide tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, everybody.
00:10This is a really important moment and it's a really important day for the state and it's
00:16a really important day for justice.
00:19And I first also just want to give a shout to my friend, Anthony Brown, I feel like we're
00:25here daily now doing this stuff, A.G., but it's because of the remarkable work that's
00:31coming from you and your office and I want to say grateful.
00:35And to each and every person here because you realize in order for real progress to
00:40happen it means you need to build a really big table, it means you need to have a collection
00:46of voices who are at that table, it means you need to have local leaders, you need to
00:51have state leaders, that we have to have non-profit organizations, that we need to
00:56have advocates, that we need to have impacted citizens.
01:02Because without their work, without their leadership, without their push, none of this
01:07is possible.
01:09And while today is a day that we rejoice that progress is possible, it's also a day that
01:17we remember that there is more work that needs to be done.
01:21But we're here to do the work and we're here to make it matter and we're grateful for that.
01:28Because today really is about ensuring equal justice for all.
01:33It's ensuring that all of us can be seen and supported, especially in times of greatest
01:40need.
01:42It's about improving accountability for both violent criminals and improving accountability
01:49for law enforcement.
01:52It's about making sure that we're building trust between our communities and the forces
01:57that are sworn to protect them.
01:59And today we will make Maryland safer by strengthening that trust.
02:07I'm proud to announce the launch of a new online system in the state of Maryland to
02:12help survivors of sexual assault track evidence anonymously.
02:19Now, Maryland has a strong track record of helping survivors through the process that
02:24takes place directly after the assault.
02:29Hospitals and law enforcement work with survivors to ensure they get a proper medical exam,
02:35collect and submit evidence, and are treated for their injuries.
02:40In Maryland, we offer these services free of charge.
02:45Now, we still need to and we still must do better when it comes to all the days after
02:54those initial steps.
02:58And this is what this new tracking system will help us to do.
03:03This new system is a big deal, both for the individual survivors and for our state as
03:09a whole.
03:11Because for survivors, this tracking system means that they can hold law enforcement accountable
03:17for effectively and efficiently processing evidence.
03:23That matters because we know too often that sexual assault evidence kits end up sitting
03:29in hospitals or in precincts or in labs.
03:35There's a backlog of 5,000 untested sexual assault evidence kits in Maryland in 2022.
03:45And it's very easy for these kits to get lost when there is no accountability.
03:51That needs to change.
03:53And it changes today.
03:56Survivors can go online and see exactly where their evidence stands through every single
04:01step of the process.
04:03And if the evidence is not moving, survivors can speak out and they can get the support
04:10that they deserve instead of being left in the dark, having to fend for themselves.
04:19And that means this is an effort to get greater accountability for their attackers and the
04:27predators too.
04:30When the system is moving, we can bring more people to justice.
04:36And now for our state as a whole, this new tracking system has the power to strengthen
04:41trust between the justice system and the communities that they support.
04:48Sexual assaults and rapes are the most unreported crimes in the state of Maryland.
04:55When survivors don't feel like the system is on their side, these survivors won't come
05:01forward and justice won't be served.
05:06And that's hurting all of us.
05:09But when people feel that there is accountability, we have a better chance of getting evidence
05:15and a better chance of closing cases and a better chance of serving justice.
05:21Then we can start building towards a culture of teamwork and transparency and trust.
05:27And this kind of tracking system has already been stood up in red states and in blue states
05:33from North Carolina to Ohio to Oklahoma.
05:39And now it's Maryland's time to get this done.
05:43And this day has been a long time coming.
05:47The General Assembly passed a Sexual Assault Victims' Resources Act in 2017, but when it
05:53came time to stand up a comprehensive sexual assault tracking system, our predecessors
06:01were not able to get it done.
06:04This administration said that we were going to get this over the finish line, and this
06:09administration has kept its word.
06:19But nobody gets this work done alone.
06:22We could not have gotten to this moment without the lawmakers and the activists and the advocates
06:30and the strong survivors who have led this charge for years.
06:37This victory today is yours, and we're eternally grateful.
06:42And I want to thank our Attorney General, Anthony Brown, for his work and leadership.
06:48I want to thank Dorothy Lennon and her entire team at the Office of Crime Prevention and
06:54Policy.
06:55I want to thank my friend, Senator Heddleman, and Delegate Bartlett, and the members of
07:00the Maryland General Assembly who never gave up the fight and who said this is a fight
07:07that we need to win.
07:09I want to thank Scott Schellenberger and his colleagues in law enforcement for continuing
07:15to push to make this happen.
07:17I want to thank Lisa Jordan and the fantastic work at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual
07:24Assault.
07:25Thank you for all you continue to do for all of us.
07:35And I want to thank you, Angela, Angela Wharton, for turning her pain into progress.
07:45Angela, and all the survivors who are with us today, we see you, we are grateful, and
07:54we're better today as a state because of you.
07:56Thank you so much, and God bless you.
08:05And so, to the members of law enforcement who called on us to find better ways to track
08:11evidence and close cases, to them, we say we hear you, too.
08:18To the survivors of sexual assault who have been calling on us to provide greater support
08:23in their time in need, to them, I say we see you, and we're thankful for you.
08:32To our fellow Marylanders who have been hoping and praying that we can build a more accountable
08:39justice system, to them, I say we heard you, and thank you, and we need you, because partnership
08:49produces progress, and nothing else does.
08:53And together, we will continue to make Maryland a safer state and a more just state for all.
09:02And now, I'll hand the program over to our remarkable Attorney General, Anthony Brown.
09:17Thank you, Governor.
09:18Yes, indeed.
09:19Twice in one week, big announcements on public safety, progress, and reform, and what a privilege
09:25it is to join you this morning in such an important announcement.
09:30And I, too, want to thank State's Attorney Schellenberger, my partners in this prosecutorial
09:36effort, all the state's attorneys around the state.
09:40Thank you, Scott, Lisa, Jordan.
09:42We go way back to my first session in the General Assembly, 1999.
09:48You've been at this work for so long, and you have really propelled so much progress
09:53in Maryland in this area.
09:56I want to thank all the survivors, both those in the room and certainly those who are watching
10:01online for, as the Governor mentioned, prodding, pushing, promoting public officials to do
10:07the right thing on your behalf.
10:10The days, the months, and the years you've been kept in the dark about the status and
10:17location of your evidence kits, that ends, as the Governor said, that ends today.
10:23And a special thank you to Angela Wharton, as the Governor mentioned, turning your pain,
10:29helping to turn that pain into progress, your tragedy into triumph for other Marylanders.
10:34Thank you for being here, sharing your story, and inspiring us to do better.
10:40Governor, I'm grateful for the work of your administration in making the tracking system
10:45possible, especially, and as you point out, your Office of Crime Prevention and Policy.
10:52I want to thank all the lawmakers, certainly Senator Heddleman, and I know we're joined
10:57by Delegate Bartlett, who just, yep, Delegate Bartlett.
11:01That's that duo down in the General Assembly getting this done, working with the Sexual
11:05Assault Evidence Kit Task Force, so I really want to thank you.
11:10And to the special, I'm sorry, the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee,
11:16which is chaired by Katie Dorian, who's the Chief of my Criminal Division, I say a special
11:20thank you to those committee members who've really been sticking to this for the last
11:25seven years, making recommendations.
11:28In fact, it was the recommendation of the committee in 2018 that really led us here
11:34today, and so I want to thank those members.
11:37And finally, to my team at the Office of the Attorney General, thank you, Zanita Wickham-Hurley,
11:42who's been at this for quite some time, and Carissa Hatfield, who, as Scott Schellenberger
11:49said, she's the leader, certainly, in the committee and in the OAG on this issue, so
11:55thank you, Carissa.
11:57So this is, right here, a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit.
12:04When someone is the victim of a sexual assault, the criminal justice system asks them to report
12:11the crime to police.
12:14We then ask victims to go to a hospital and undergo a forensic exam, most commonly known
12:19as a safe exam.
12:22The purpose of the exam is to collect evidence to help identify or confirm the offender.
12:26The exam is performed with the intention of preserving the evidence in a way that can
12:31be used in a court of law.
12:34And that evidence can include the offender's DNA, the invisible fingerprint, the ultimate
12:41truth teller in the criminal justice system.
12:44This kit is a promise of justice, however, for too many victims and survivors in too
12:53many communities, not only here in Maryland, but across the country, when kits left hospital
13:01rooms, victims were left with nothing but questions.
13:06Where's my evidence kit?
13:08When does justice come?
13:12Now we're going to use a barcode system to change everything here in Maryland.
13:17It is the key to the new statewide tracking system that will provide survivors with answers.
13:25Our state committee and the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy contracted
13:30with Invita Technologies on this new tracking system called TrackKit.
13:37Through TrackKit, unique barcodes will be added to all Sexual Assault Evidence Kits
13:42collected in Maryland.
13:44As the program has rolled out over the coming months, barcodes will be applied to all existing
13:49kits including those maintained in police storage units or in crime labs.
13:55It will take some time to complete this and I know victims have been waiting far too long
14:00already, but our commitment is to get there expeditiously.
14:05Now when a sexual assault survivor completes the safe exam at the hospital, they'll be
14:10given a barcode number and password.
14:13Everyone in the criminal justice system will scan the barcode when they assume custody
14:18of the kit.
14:19For survivors that means you can go into the tracking system 24-7, 365 days a year, armed
14:26with your barcode number and password and track the progress of your kit.
14:31From the hospital, through law enforcement, to the lab for testing, then back to the appropriate
14:37agency.
14:38In cases where an offender is identified, our hope, our goal is that you're tracking
14:43kit and that you can track it all the way to the courtroom and to justice.
14:51This system is up and running.
14:53The process of entering kits has already begun.
14:56Fourteen survivors as of this morning have already logged onto the system, a combined
15:01total of 90 times.
15:02What does it tell you?
15:05Survivors want action.
15:07They expect all of us to do our jobs.
15:10The tracking program is going to give survivors the transparency, accountability, dignity
15:14and support they deserve.
15:17It will help law enforcement and prosecutors find the perpetrators and hold them accountable.
15:22It will help us track delays and monitor compliance.
15:26Survivors of sexual assault will no longer be kept in the dark after forensic evidence
15:33is collected.
15:34We will empower survivors.
15:37This tracking system has the potential to do just that.
15:41So I want to thank you once again, Governor, and it's my privilege to call to the podium
15:46Senator Edelman.
15:54Good morning, everyone.
15:55Thank you for being here.
15:56Thank you, Governor, Attorney General, and all my colleagues up here and there for giving
16:04us this opportunity and for calling us together.
16:07I want to give a shout out to my colleague, Vice Chair Sandy Bartlett, who would be up
16:12here but had scheduling conflict this morning.
16:15This is a good day, and this has been a good and important week for big announcements of
16:20how to beat back barriers in our criminal justice system.
16:24Too many sexual assault survivors are among those who historically have had to face barrier
16:29after barrier to get justice.
16:32Too many have not been believed, have had their experiences minimized, and have not
16:37been taken seriously by our systems, systems that are supposed to be on the front lines
16:42of addressing their needs and of holding perpetrators accountable.
16:46Eight years ago, at the beginning of my legislative service, I read an article in the newspaper
16:52co-written by someone here about a Baltimore County young woman who went out for a drink
16:57with a coworker and was sexually assaulted and, among other horrific actions, was vaginally
17:02penetrated by a beer bottle.
17:05The day after, she went to the hospital, had a forensic nurse exam, producing what is commonly
17:11called a rape kit.
17:13She spoke with police, who unfortunately did not take her seriously.
17:17At this traumatic time in her life, after doing what we all want survivors to do, access
17:23health care and report to police, she didn't want to do battle with the system, so she
17:28set her experience aside.
17:30Fast forward three years later, at a different point in her life, and she reached out to
17:35the Baltimore County Police Department to find out that the rape kit and the beer bottle,
17:39the two critical pieces of physical evidence in her case, had been thrown away.
17:45And so began my journey, building on the work of so many who came before me.
17:51This happened in my county, and the more I dug into the issue, the more I learned that
17:57so much needed fixing.
17:59And thankfully, I've found many willing partners in this mission, including the folks standing
18:04here and many of my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, who have come together to make
18:09change.
18:10It has not been easy, and at times we've had our battles, but we are making progress.
18:16And Governor, thank you for signing this bill and for demonstrating that change is
18:20possible.
18:21And when you have leadership committed to change, like the folks here today, systemic
18:26reform can happen.
18:28In 2017, we enacted laws to standardize the ways in which rape kits were preserved and
18:34protected, and later requiring that they be tested.
18:38We created a statewide standard that said that law enforcement had to keep kits for
18:43originally 20 years, doing away with 24 different standards.
18:47And later, we extended that to 75 years.
18:51In 2017, through a bill introduced by the Lieutenant Governor, we created the SAIC,
18:56the committee that the Attorney General mentioned and that many of us serve on.
19:01And what we're celebrating today, the operationalization of a tracking system, had its origins back
19:08in 2018.
19:10When we passed a bill requiring the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention to
19:14apply for federal funding to create a tracking system so that stakeholders, and most importantly,
19:21survivors, would know where in the process their rape kit was.
19:24It would create transparency, which in turn would help people to regain trust in the system.
19:31Maryland has been awarded over $5 million from the Department of Justice to test kits
19:36and to create a tracking system.
19:39And then in 2023, Delegate Sandy Bartlett and I introduced legislation that the Governor
19:44signed that put into law what the expectations are for those interacting with the tracking
19:50system.
19:51It wasn't good enough to build it.
19:53We actually have to hold stakeholders accountable for interacting with it.
19:58Amanda Nguyen, a sexual assault survivor and founder of RISE, pushed for the enactment
20:03of the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights that was passed unanimously in Congress a
20:08few years ago.
20:10She was nominated for a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and said in her testimony in support of our
20:16bill last year, quote, access to justice is a prerequisite to true peace, unquote.
20:23I couldn't say it any better than that.
20:26Survivors deserve justice and they deserve peace.
20:29And I hope that this tracking system will enable them to have both.
20:33Thank you.
20:35Thank you.
20:45Good morning.
20:47I'm Scott Schellenberger.
20:49I'm the state's attorney in Baltimore County and I'm pleased to be here today with the
20:54launch of the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking System.
20:59Many of the people up here and many in the audience have worked very hard for a number
21:04of years, actually when I just heard it mentioned that it was first brought in 2017, I had to
21:11lean over to Senator Heldman and say, have we been doing this that long?
21:17But we have.
21:18We have been doing this that long.
21:20And I've been to many, many, many meetings to get us to this point.
21:28And honestly, there were many times where I would sit in these meetings and I would
21:32think, wow, there's really going to be accountability about whether the police and prosecutors
21:40are doing their jobs.
21:43And as you heard, that includes me.
21:46But then as I would listen to some folks, I realized that that's exactly what we needed
21:52to do.
21:53There needs to be accountability, and that's what this tracking system will do.
21:58When it launched a few weeks ago, unfortunately we had a very terrible incident in Baltimore
22:04County in which there were two individuals sexually assaulted by a stranger.
22:11Because I knew the system had launched, the week after that happened, I actually went
22:18into the system and did a few clicks.
22:22And next thing I knew, I knew exactly where those two tits were.
22:27They were still at the hospital.
22:29But interestingly enough, I knew the nurse who had done the exam.
22:33And so therefore, I knew who our first witness was going to be in that sexual assault case
22:39to prove the introduction of that DNA evidence.
22:44Just yesterday, because we were coming here today, I clicked on that tracking system again
22:51and I saw that the two kits are now in the property room in the Baltimore County Police
22:55Department.
22:56And I knew not only who the nurse was, but now I knew what officer had picked the kid
23:02up.
23:03And that's what this system will do.
23:06And more importantly, because of the word accountability, what has to happen next is
23:12when I click on that the next time, 30 days, 60 days, I better see that it's not sitting
23:20in property evidence.
23:22I better see that it's somewhere else being tested.
23:25And that's where it comes to accountability, and that's what this system does.
23:30It's accountability for police, prosecutors, and access for the victim to really know what's
23:35going on.
23:37Just so you know, I would like to thank our leaders over the years who have led this committee.
23:44They send out way too many emails telling us we're having meetings.
23:48Thank you very much, Zanita Hurley, for leading us first, Rhea Harris for leading us, Carissa
23:55Hatfield, thank you so much for being our leader and bringing this home.
23:59We really appreciate it.
24:02I pledge to you that I and all the law enforcement in this state will continue to be held accountable
24:11and we will utilize this system to make sure that the victims of sexual assault get their
24:18day in court.
24:20And now we will hear from, sorry Governor, the most important speaker today, and that's
24:27Angela Wharton.
24:31Good morning.
24:41What a glorious day this is.
24:44As I sat down to write this speech, my heart overflowed with a mixture of emotions, gratitude
24:53and hope, and a profound sense of responsibility, understanding that it is only by the grace
25:00of God that I'm able to stand here before you today.
25:05I'm a victim survivor of a harrowing experience that no one should ever have to endure.
25:12I am a wife, I am a mother of two daughters and a woman who was once robbed of her sense
25:20of safety and security and in the most beautiful, I'm sorry, in the most brutal way possible.
25:28In 1996, I was raped in the woods at gunpoint in Northeast Baltimore, a day that forever
25:36altered the course of my life.
25:40In the aftermath of the assault, I summoned every ounce of courage within me to undergo
25:47an invasive and humiliating process called the safe examination.
25:56It was a grueling ordeal where my body was a literal crime scene, but I endured it.
26:05I endured it with the hope that justice would prevail and that my perpetrator would be held
26:12accountable for his heinous actions.
26:16However, in 2018, over 20 years after that horrifying night, the devastating news reached
26:26me.
26:27All of my evidence, including my untested rape kit, had been destroyed by the local
26:37police department.
26:39The very evidence that could have brought my assailant to justice had been callously
26:45discarded less than two years after the rape, leaving me feeling betrayed, violated, and
26:55utterly powerless.
27:00At that moment, I was devastated, re-victimized, and began to spiral into a deep depression.
27:07I grappled with a profound sense of anger and injustice.
27:12I feared that my voice, my story, and my pain would forever be silenced and forgotten,
27:21but I refused to be silenced.
27:23I refused to let my trauma defy me or dictate my future.
27:29Instead, I made a choice, a choice to rise above the ashes of my pain, to reclaim my
27:39voice, and stand in solidarity with my fellow survivors in the fight for justice and accountability.
27:48And so, it is with a heart brimming with gratitude that I welcome the introduction of Maryland's
27:57new Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking System.
28:03This groundbreaking initiative represents a ray of hope for survivors like me who have
28:09endured the anguish of having their trauma dismissed and their pursuit of justice thwarted
28:17by a system that failed to protect and serve.
28:21To the Governor's Office, the Attorney General's Office, the SAEK Committee, and all of the
28:29organizations behind this monumental effort, I extend my deepest gratitude.
28:36Your tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to ensure that no survivor is left behind
28:45have not gone unnoticed.
28:48Your actions speak volumes to the countless survivors who have long been denied justice,
28:56validation, and closure that they so rightly deserve.
29:02With this new tracking system, survivors are no longer left in the dark wondering about
29:07the fate of their rape kits or the progress of their cases.
29:11Transparency and accountability are now within reach, offering a glimmer of hope to those
29:18of us who have long been denied a voice and a chance to seek justice.
29:25As a mother of two daughters, I am filled with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
29:35I vow to continue to use my voice to advocate for change, to raise awareness, and to support
29:42efforts that give other survivors a greater chance at justice.
29:47I want my daughters to grow up in a world where their voices are heard.
29:54Their bodies are respected, and their rights are upheld.
30:00In closing, let us remember that in the face of darkness, there's always light.
30:10In the wake of pain, there's always healing.
30:16And in the midst of despair, there's always hope.
30:23Together, let us stand united in our pursuit of justice, empowerment, and a future where
30:29every survivor's story is acknowledged, believed, and honored.
30:35Thank you, and God bless you.
30:37Thank you.
31:07Good morning.
31:09Good morning.
31:11I'm Lisa Jordan with the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
31:19We are the coalition of rape crisis centers serving survivors like Angela all across the
31:25state of Maryland.
31:26We are the home of the Sexual Assault Legal Institute, one of the only legal services
31:32programs in the whole country that's devoted to helping survivors.
31:37MCASA's mission is to empower sexual assault survivors.
31:43And I am here to say, we believe you.
31:47We support you.
31:50And the creation of a tracking system for rape kits will help prevent future backlogs
31:57and hold the government accountable, my government friends, so that you as survivors can seek
32:06justice.
32:09Today marks a huge step forward in the implementation of the tracking system.
32:13This first phase provides the system, the government, and individual survivors with
32:19access to the track-it system.
32:22We look forward to the next phase that will ensure that rape crisis centers, child advocacy
32:26centers, and sexual assault advocates and attorneys also have access to the system.
32:32And we stand ready to help survivors navigate the tracking system itself, to use that tracking
32:39system to enforce the rights of survivors, and to ensure that Maryland never again has
32:47a backlog of untested rape kits.
32:51Thank you.
32:58Know that the tracking system is part of the larger Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, a partnership
33:03between the Attorney General's SAIT Committee, led by the fabulous Katie Dorian, the Moore
33:08Administration, and MCASA.
33:12Our SAKI advocates, led by the wonderful Laura Jessup, who is with us here today, strives
33:19to eliminate the backlog of the untested rape kits, prevent backlogs, and really support
33:25the survivors through this system.
33:29Imagine learning that you went through a rape exam years ago, yesterday, decades ago, and
33:39finding out that the prosecutors at law enforcement did nothing.
33:46We are there to support survivors through this, and to advocate to make sure that this
33:51doesn't happen again, and that the right steps are taken now.
33:55If you have questions about the status of your kit, or how to use that tracking system,
34:01you can contact us.
34:02I'll give you the phone number of 833-364-0046, and notification at mcasa.org.
34:11Or you can call 2-1-1, or visit mcasa.org to find your rape crisis centers.
34:18Know that we are here for you, we believe you.
34:22Thank you, Governor Moore, for recognizing the importance of this step.
34:27We are so glad you're part of the anti-sexual violence community, and we look forward to
34:32making real progress, because everybody keeps talking about 2017 when we passed that bill,
34:38but let me tell you, there were bills before that.
34:41There were bills that said, oh, let's do a protocol.
34:45There were bills that had other committees.
34:49The Attorney General and I have been doing this for decades.
34:52It's time to make more progress, so survivors can get their exams at any hospital they show
34:58up at, and that we then do something with those rape kits.
35:04Thank you, Attorney General Brown, for your longstanding leadership and support for survivors.
35:09You and I have fought together for so long, and the work continues.
35:14I remember when you first came to the General Assembly, and I remember talking to you, and
35:19you said, oh, no, no, I've had these cases.
35:22I know about sexual assault survivors, and I want to help, and you have.
35:28Thank you.
35:30Thank you, Vice Chair Bartlett.
35:37Thank you, Senator Heddleman.
35:40You are championing the laws that help survivors, and you champion this law that required that
35:46sexual assault kits be tracked, and you included in that law that advocates have access to
35:51that tracking system, but, you know, most of all, like everyone here, I want to thank
35:58Angela Worden.
35:59She and I have also known each other a very long time.
36:05Survivors who choose to have a forensic exam to provide the state with vital information
36:12that we need to convict sex offenders and make our communities safer, they should be
36:18lifted up as heroes.
36:22Tracking the evidence that they have provided from their bodies after the trauma of a sexual
36:28assault, that's the least we can do.
36:33Thank you all for being here.
36:34I believe that there is now time for questions.
36:35We'll take questions now.
36:36Anyone?
36:37Anna?
36:38Go ahead.
36:39Oh, sorry.
36:40Go ahead.
36:41Well, we know we, we actually have the system, as the Attorney General's mentioned, is actually
37:04up and going now, and I think that's why today becomes such an important, such an important
37:10milestone, because this is when the accountability then becomes in place for a full standing
37:14up, making sure that we have these systems in place in all of our various hospital systems,
37:20and also making sure that all the partners who have been involved in this, to include
37:24law enforcement, now understand both the guidelines and the accountability measures.
37:28So we actually have the process that's actually going and up in place now, but this really
37:32begins the full accountability measurement process.
37:33Just a quick follow-up.
37:34The backlog at Crime Labs and the police departments, do you have any idea of how long it will take
37:59all of those to meet?
38:00What's that, Carissa?
38:01Carissa, come on up here, and our leader on the details, particularly.
38:02Yes, indeed.
38:03We have a backlog of 20 to 22 at around 5,000 kids untested.
38:07We have both state and federal funding to clear that backlog.
38:11I unfortunately can't give you an exact day, time, month of when that will occur, but it
38:15is an ongoing process that we are working on expeditiously.
38:18Thank you.
38:19Can I follow up one thing?
38:20Yeah.
38:21The bill that we passed in 2023 does say that everything needs to be uploaded by December
38:302025.
38:31All right.
38:32I'll take the next question.
38:33Right.
38:34So that's a low-key question.
38:35Are stickers being affixed to existing cases?
38:36I mean, you're going to go back to those people and give them lockers?
38:43Yes, that's correct.
38:45So what will happen from here, cases that come into the system going forward will have
38:50a barcode already affixed.
38:52Any kids that are in the state's possession in law enforcement evidence lockers or other
38:56locations will have a barcode affixed to them by that deadline.
38:59All right.
39:00Thank you very much.
39:01Thank you.
39:02Thank you.
39:03Also, another detailed question.
39:04Are there any potential hurdles or barriers?
39:05How are survivors going to access the internet access?
39:06What about survivors who may not have that?
39:07Sure.
39:08So you would need internet access to access the system.
39:09It is an online system.
39:10But I'm going to let Lisa Jordan take over here.
39:11She's got some thoughts to share.
39:12Thank you so much, Carissa.
39:13Thank you.
39:14Thank you for that question.
39:15You know, this is why it's so vital that advocates also have access to the internet.
39:16We work with survivors all over the state.
39:36There are multiple barriers.
39:39First of all, any of you who've had medical care in an urgent matter and then are handed
39:43piece of paper, you know how easy it is to lose that information.
39:48So we are concerned about survivors just being able to keep track of that information and
39:54have help if they lose it.
39:56We are concerned about survivors who are here without documentation and may feel uneasy
40:02interacting with the government.
40:04We are concerned about survivors who don't use English as their first language or who
40:09don't have good technological capabilities.
40:14We are concerned about people who just had deep and long-lasting trauma and simply need
40:20the support.
40:22And finally, although the tracking system is amazing, thank you for getting it in place,
40:28it really is just a tool.
40:30It is just a tool to enforce the rights of survivors.
40:35They need to have advocates and they also need to have victims' rights attorneys to
40:40support them through the system so they have access to make sure that their wishes are
40:45respected through the prosecutorial system, that they have good referrals to the rape
40:50crisis centers so they can receive counseling and support.
40:54There are multiple barriers.
40:56This is one piece, and we have to make sure that this piece is working in partnership
41:02with all of us.
41:03Thank you, Lisa.
41:04I'll take Bridget.
41:05I'm not sure who this question is directed to.
41:08This technology has been in existence for a long time.
41:12And I'm wondering if you could put a really fine point on it for us.
41:18Why didn't we do this before?
41:20Was it political will?
41:22Is there more legislation that was critically needed?
41:25Did we lack funding?
41:27Certainly.
41:28So I can take that question.
41:29So as you heard up here today, the committee was set up in 2017.
41:33We received the enabling funding in 2018.
41:36A part of the process of standing up a system like this is understanding what will need
41:42to go into the system.
41:43So when we're talking about how many kits will need to go into the system across how
41:47many locations and the challenges that that faces.
41:51And we didn't have at that point in time a concrete inventory of how many kits were in
41:55the state of Maryland.
41:57So what we needed to do is to conduct an inventory of every single kit that existed in the state.
42:03Unfortunately for us, that inventory really began in 2019.
42:07And I'm sure you all know COVID hit us in 2020.
42:11And like many other locations, it affected us greatly.
42:14That inventory was an in-person inventory where our investigators had to put their hand
42:20on every single kit to count it and notate case numbers and all of those things.
42:24So it wasn't something we could do digitally.
42:26So that inventory was delayed significantly until I would say late 2021, early 2022.
42:33And at that point, we moved forward with looking for a system that would fit the kits that
42:38we had and the number of kits we had and locations that we had.
42:42We began the RFP process.
42:44Again, government, I'm sure you all know, was a little slow and slowed down a little
42:49bit more by COVID.
42:51Unfortunately, a lot of folks couldn't get together.
42:53Processes were delayed.
42:55But ultimately, once we secured the RFP for the system in October 2023, we were actually
43:01one of the fastest to launch the system across the country.
43:05We launched the system in seven months.
43:07And the national average is around a year to launch a system like this.
43:11So once we had it, we moved as quickly as we could.
43:14Unfortunately, we were just held up by the pandemic.
43:17Thank you.
43:18I have time for one more question.
43:20So say a survivor logs on and sees that their rape kit is just sitting there.
43:26It's installed.
43:27How do they alert someone?
43:29Who do they contact to let them know, hey, something's wrong with this.
43:33What's going on?
43:34Absolutely.
43:35So the way that the system is set up, we set it up from the beginning where there is a
43:39contact person for every single law enforcement agency, every single hospital, every single
43:45lab, every single state's attorney's office.
43:48So if a survivor logs in and they see it's sitting in an evidence locker, they can contact
43:53that agency and say, what's happening with my case?
43:56I can see that it's been sitting in the locker since X date.
44:00What are we doing to move this forward?
44:02And so they can actually contact that agency and hold them accountable and say, why isn't
44:06this moving and what's happening with my case?
44:09And so you may know that survivors can also have the evidence collected on an anonymous
44:14basis.
44:15Right?
44:16And so for those cases, the survivor may not want to reach out to the system or for other
44:21reasons.
44:22Someone may not feel comfortable calling police officers, prosecutors, officers.
44:27So every single jurisdiction in Maryland has a rape crisis center.
44:31I know that Amanda Rodriguez from Turnaround is here representing one of the rape crisis
44:36centers.
44:37They can also reach out to the rape crisis center.
44:39They can reach out to the sexual assault kit initiative advocates.
44:44And they can also reach out to the sexual assault legal institute.
44:47And from those nonprofit organizations, they can get free confidential advice and have
44:53someone who can really fight for them and help them through the system.
44:57They don't have to fight on their own through the system that has really failed them for
45:02so many years.
45:03Thank you all so much.
45:04Thank you.
45:05Thank you.
45:06Thank you.
45:07Thank you.
45:08Thank you.
45:09Thank you.
45:10Thank you.
45:11Thank you.
45:12Thank you.