DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system. DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists, and DNA can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.

In recognizing that we must do more to realize the full potential of DNA technology to solve crime, protect the innocent, and identify missing persons, President Bush announced a five year, more than $1 billion initiative to improve and increase the use of DNA technology in the criminal justice system. The President's DNA Initiative - Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology - calls for increased funding, training, and assistance to law enforcement, forensic labs, medical professionals, victim service providers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges.

In promoting the use of DNA to more effectively solve crime, protect the innocent, and identify missing persons, the President's initiative has the following specific goals:

• Eliminate the current backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples and other biological evidence
• Improve the capacity of crime laboratories to analyze DNA samples in a timely manner
• Stimulate research and develop new DNA technologies and advances in all areas of forensic science
• Develop training and provide assistance about the collection and use of DNA evidence to criminal justice professionals
• Provide access to appropriate post-conviction DNA testing of crime scene evidence not tested at the time of trial
• Ensure that DNA forensic technology is used to its full potential to solve missing persons cases and identify human remains

For more information on the President's DNA Initiative, please visit www.dna.gov.

Under the President's DNA Initiative, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has developed A National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations. As an initiative partner, OVW developed this protocol to help health care providers, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and others address the health needs of and minimize the trauma suffered by victims of sexual assault. The protocol also discusses how to conduct a proper medical forensic exam to ensure that DNA and other evidence collected from the victim will be valid in court.

In September of 2004, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) released its National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations, which provides details on the roles of responders to sexual assault as part of a coordinated community response. A companion to the protocol, OVW's National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners offers a framework for the specialized education of health care providers who wish to practice as sexual assault forensic examiners. The training standards include recommendations for training objectives and topics that will enable a sexual assault forensic examiner to implement effectively the guidelines and standards outlined by the protocol.