One of the responsibilities of probation officers is to collect body fluid samples from clients to test for the presence of drugs or alcohol when that is a condition of their probation. But did you also know that Indiana law requires officers to collect a DNA sample for persons convicted of a felony? The Indiana General Assembly adopted this requirement in 2005.
When a court sentences a defendant directly to the Department of Correction (DOC), bypassing any contact with probation, then the DOC collects the DNA sample. In other instances a defendant may be held in or sentenced to the county jail, the local community corrections agency or probation, resulting in the sheriff or the designee of the sheriff collecting the sample.
Where Samples Go
The Laboratory Division of the Indiana State Police (ISP) is the receiving agency for all samples collected. ISP works under an agreement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to use the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to enter all DNA test results from the samples submitted from local and state agencies. CODIS is programmed to ‘match’ DNA profiles. The FBI explains CODIS on their website located at www.fbi.com, which is summarized below.
The FBI describes the system as a software platform that blends forensic science and computer technology.
It has multiple levels where DNA profiles can be stored and searched at the local, state and national levels. Data stored at the national level is kept in the National DNA Index System (NDIS). At this level, an analyst can try to match a DNA profile from a local crime scene sample (described as a forensic unknown) with an offender’s profile from across the nation to solve cases that span states.