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State Starts Testing New Tracking System for Rape Kits

The state has an estimated 1,400 rape kits that have yet to be tested

By Associated Press

HELENA — The Montana Department of Justice is entering the state’s backlog of rape kits into a new system that will track and monitor the status of the kits.

The Independent Record reports several sexual assault kits from eastern Montanan arrived in Helena this week to be logged into the tracking system. The state has an estimated 1,400 rape kits that have yet to be tested.

The use of the tracking system comes after the state received over $2.2 million in grants to pay for testing and maintain an inventory of the kits and track them as they are tested.

To help whittle away at the backlog, the state has asked the 10 largest jurisdictions to send 30 kits each to the FBI for testing.