Minnesota SAKI for Systems Professionals

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Minnesota Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Project aims to create a coordinated community response that promotes just resolutions to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Minnesota SAKI Project was awarded a grant in 2019 to test unrestricted and unsubmitted sexual assault kits; gain insight into extent of the challenges sexual assault kit collection and processing; and provide critical information for policy and programmatic interventions to improve the statewide response to sexual assault.

At the onset of the project, Anoka County was identified as the pilot site, providing a strong foundation for developing recommendations and protocols for testing, investigating, prosecuting, victim/survivor notification, and advocacy for victims/survivors. The project partners include the Office of Justice Programs, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office​, Alexandra House (a victim/survivor service provider), and the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The project partners, along with numerous stakeholders, coordinate their work through the Minnesota SAKI Multidisciplinary Team lead by the Minnesota Coalition against Sexual Assault.