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Sunday, October 08, 2006
Ind. Law - More on: Indiana felons must provide DNA
Following up on this ILB entry from July 30th headed "Indiana felons must provide DNA", which includes useful background info, Bob Kasarda of the Munster (NW Indiana) Times reports today:
VALPARAISO | Everyone convicted of a felony after July 1, 2005, will soon be required to turn over a DNA sample to be placed into a nationwide database.The Indiana Department of Correction will collect samples from everyone sent to prison. But the vast majority of felons from Porter County take part in local sentencing programs, which leaves county officials with the challenge of complying with the new law.
Porter County Adult Probation Chief Neil Hannon has proposed leaving most of the work to Strand Analytical Laboratories, an Indianapolis-based firm hired to coordinate the collection effort statewide.
The lab will collect the samples locally free of charge, he said.
He prefers not to have his probation officers collecting the samples because the officers could be called out of state to testify each time a local felon reoffends.
Of the 1,500 people convicted of felonies last year in Porter County, only 117 were sent to prison, Hannon said.
Hannon presented his proposal in writing this week to the county's judges, who kicked it back to him to be worked out in further detail, according to Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford.
Bradford voiced concern about the lab collecting samples from large numbers of offenders at the same time. He said he would prefer to see the samples collected on a per-case basis.
"We want to get it fresh after sentencing," he said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 8, 2006 10:45 AM
Posted to Indiana Law