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The 2018 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC) collects information from every publicly funded medical examiner and coroner office in the United States. Data are collected on administration, staffing, budget, workload, policies, and practices of these offices.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department (MDME) successfully conducted preliminary studies that evaluated the effectiveness of fast scanning liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) which created a detailed merged-product ion scan spectra with library search capabilities to identify substances more accurately. The project intent was to establish its effectiveness in replacing more traditional immunoassay testing procedures that are costly, of limited scope, non-specific, and can only provide presumptive results. The goal was to develop a superior screening protocol that combines fast scanning LC/MS/MS technology with the currently utilized gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) screening technique. By merging these two analytical tools, GC/MS and LC/MS/MS, a broader range of drugs can be identified more efficiently and at appropriate drug concentrations for postmortem analysis.

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. The four primary goals of The Detroit Sexual Assault Kit Action Research Project (DSAK-ARP) were: To assess the scope of the problem by conducting a complete census of all sexual assault kits (SAKs) in police property. To identify the underlying factors that contributed to why Detroit had so many un-submitted SAKs. To develop a plan for testing SAKs and to evaluate the efficacy of that plan. To create a victim notification protocol and evaluate the efficacy of that protocol. To conduct the census and investigate factors that contributed to untested SAKs, The study investigated police and other public records, interviewed public officials and employees and manually cataloged untested SAKs to conduct the census and gather information as to the decision making processes as to why the SAKs remained untested. A random sample of 1,595 SAKs were tested as part of developing a SAK testing plan. Kits were divided into four testing groups to examine the utility of testing SAKs for stranger perpetrated sexual assaults, non-stranger perpetrated sexual assaults and sexual assaults believed to be beyond the statute of limitations. The final testing group split SAKs randomly into two addition sample sets as part of an experimental design to examine whether the testing method of selective degradation was a quicker and more cost efficient approach that offered satisfactory levels of accuracy when compared to standard DNA testing methods. A two stage protocol was created to inform sexual assault victims that their SAKs had been tested, discuss options for participating with the investigation and prosecution process and connect the victim with community services.

After a sexual assault, victims are advised to have a medical forensic exam, including the collection of a sexual assault kit (SAK) to preserve forensic evidence of the crime. The SAK samples can be analyzed for DNA, which can help prosecute assailants and prevent future assaults. However, police do not routinely submit SAKs for forensic DNA testing, and large stockpiles of untested kits have been documented in over 41 jurisdictions. To address this growing national problem, many cities are now testing all of their older rape kits. Re-contacting survivors to inform them that their SAK had not been tested and now will be/has been tested is referred to as 'victim notification.' This study explored how victim notifications can support survivors' well-being and promote justice. Researchers conducted qualitative interviews with 32 sexual assault survivors in Detroit, MI. All participants had experienced a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) Hit Re-Engagement Victim Notification, in which law enforcement personnel contacted survivors to inform them that their SAKs had been tested and the testing yielded a suspect DNA match in the FBI's national criminal database CODIS. All survivors agreed to re-engage with the criminal legal system and participate in the investigation and prosecution of these cases. Researchers also completed qualitative interviews with 12 community-based advocates about their experiences providing advocacy and support to these survivors throughout their notification and re-engagement experiences. They used semi-structured interviews to document: Survivors' CODIS Hit Re-Engagement Victim Notification experiences; Survivors' decision-making processes regarding re-engagement with the criminal legal system; Survivors' re-engagement experiences with the criminal legal system and the extent to which their court experiences provided procedural, distributive, retributive, and/or restorative justice; Survivors' advocacy experiences from victim notification through criminal legal system re-engagement.

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. This study contains data from a feasibility trial which was undertaken to determine if a novel fluorescent dye to detect anogenital injury in non-white women was safe and effective in aiding the visualization of genital injuries in forensic examinations. The study includes one SPSS data file: dye_data_archive.sav (44 cases; 14 variables).