Bill Overview
Title: Carla Walker Act of 2022
Description: This bill provides grants for state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct forensic DNA analyses in criminal investigations.
Sponsors: Rep. Armstrong, Kelly [R-ND-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: Global population involved in criminal investigations or affected by their outcomes
Estimated Size: 100000000
- The bill provides support for law enforcement agencies, so they are directly impacted.
- The grants facilitate DNA analyses, which can affect the outcome of criminal investigations, impacting suspects, victims, and families involved.
- Faster or more comprehensive forensic analyses may help solve crimes, impacting communities' safety and security.
- Law enforcement agencies are the main organizations receiving funding, impacting their operations and capabilities.
- As cases are resolved or handled more efficiently, communities where these crimes occur will feel the effects of improved safety and justice.
- Particularly in severe crimes like homicides and sexual assaults, victims and victims' families could experience a significant impact due to improved case closure rates.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily funds law enforcement agencies for forensic DNA analyses. These funds will potentially streamline crime-solving processes, impacting suspects, victims, and communities at large by increasing the rate of case resolutions.
- The impact on any single individual will depend on their involvement with the criminal justice system—whether they are law enforcement personnel, suspects in a case, or victims of crime.
- We will simulate interviews considering both direct stakeholders (e.g., law enforcement personnel, victims) and indirect stakeholders (e.g., general citizens who may benefit from improved public safety).
- Given the budget constraints, the policy effect is expected to be medium to high for individuals directly involved in specific aspects of crime resolution aided by DNA analyses, while indirect effects on general public safety may be more moderate.
Simulated Interviews
Detective (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having more resources for DNA analyses means we can move cases forward faster. That helps us get justice for victims and also clarity for families. It's a significant improvement for law enforcement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Forensic Scientist (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the additional funding, we can finally address the backlog of cases that has been plaguing our lab for years. This will improve our efficiency and reputation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Crime Victim Advocate (Boston, MA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Speeding up case closure through better DNA technology could give our clients peace of mind faster. It's crucial for their healing process to have resolution.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
College Student (Orlando, FL)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While the policy is aimed at solving crimes faster, we need to ensure it doesn't lead to misuse of forensic data or privacy violations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Public Defender (Austin, TX)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The funding can be a double-edged sword—it could lead to fairer, quicker trials, but also to rushed conclusions if checks aren't in place.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired Police Officer (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a boon for police work, enabling quicker case resolutions. It's vital we back this with precision and responsibility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Public School Teacher (Detroit, MI)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If this law results in a safer neighborhood, it will be immensely beneficial to the students and the community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Victim of Crime (New York, NY)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- For victims like me, knowing the person responsible will be caught faster is relieving. The trauma of waiting is hard to convey.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Family Member of Victim (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 54 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This funding could bring closure to families like mine who've been waiting for years. It means hope in a drawn-out process.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Journalist (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy leverages technology to enhance justice BUT needs rigorous oversight to avoid misuse or misinterpretation of forensic results.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Year 2: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Year 3: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Year 5: $400000000 (Low: $350000000, High: $450000000)
Year 10: $-1 (Low: $-1, High: $-1)
Year 100: $-1 (Low: $-1, High: $-1)
Key Considerations
- The cost accounts for the broad distribution of grants, with varying costs depending on the size and needs of different jurisdictions.
- State and local agencies may require different amounts of funding based on the volume of cases requiring DNA analysis.
- Potential offsets from enhanced crime resolution rates are reflected in the savings estimate but are difficult to quantify accurately.
- The bill's indirect economic benefits, including potential increases in public safety and community confidence, may contribute positively to local economies.