Sexual Assault Evidence Collection (MA)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c.66, §10, I hereby request the following records:

Any and all policies, procedures, memorandums, directives, and any other guiding materials regarding matters pertaining to the collection, maintenance, transfer, and disposal of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (“SAECK” or “Rape Kits”), including, but not limited, to the following:

- Policies and procedures related to the initial collection of SAECK.
- Policies and procedures regarding the timeframe of the collection and testing of SAECK including the timeframe required for SAECK testing by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (“SANE”).
- All mechanisms by which SAECK are or can be tested including all designated facilities where SAECK can be performed.
- Policies and procedures regarding the maintenance and transfer of SAECK.
- Policies and procedures concerning a petition to test a SAECK.
- Policies and procedures related to the process of checking the status of a SAECK and the notification provided to survivors regarding their SAECK.
- Policies and procedures regarding reports generated of both tested and untested SAECK, mandatory or voluntary reporting requirements regarding both tested and untested SAECK, and audits of the numbers of both tested and untested SAECK.
- Policies and procedures regarding the statute of limitations for maintenance and or storage of SAECK, both tested and untested.

Please include all available segregable data.

Please also provide all available data, statistics, or reports regarding matters pertaining to the collection, maintenance, transfer, and disposal of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (“SAECK” or “Rape Kits”), including, but not limited, to those materials related to the following specific elements of the SAECK process:

- The collection of SAECK.
- Timeframes of collection and testing of SAECK.
- Maintenance and transfer of SAECK.
- Petitions to test SAECK. (Please note this is not a request for identifying or confidential information of survivors or their cases or SAECK. This is a request for the numbers of petitions to test SAECK.)
- Requests to check the status of SAECK. (Please note this is not a request for identifying or confidential information of survivors or their cases or SAECK. This is a request for the numbers of requests to check SAECK status(es).)
- Notification given to survivors regarding their SAECK (Please note this is not a request for identifying or confidential information of survivors or their cases or SAECK. This is a request for the numbers of notifications given to survivors regarding their SAECK status.)
- Reports and audits generated of both tested and untested SAECK, issued by mandatory or voluntary reporting requirements

Should your agency believe that any additional policies, procedures, reports or other analysis pertaining to the collection, maintenance, transfer, and disposal of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (“SAECK” or “Rape Kits”), or any related issues may reside with another agency or agencies, indication of such agencies would be greatly appreciated.

Please notify us if further clarification is necessary.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Ginette Walls