BATON ROUGE — The Department of Justice awarded $2 million to Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections for their efforts in reducing DNA backlog while bolstering re-entry resources. 

The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory was gifted $1 million to acquire and integrate key technology to assist the lab in reducing the backlog of DNA analysis, accelerating the resolution of violent crime cases. 

“DNA analysis is a critical tool in the investigation and prosecution of crimes," U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall said. "Devoting funds to assist with a quicker turnaround is certainly a worthy investment.”

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections was also awarded $1 million to assist those entering the re-entry phase of substance abuse and mental health treatment as well as transitional housing. 

The project aims to serve 200 people in Louisiana. 

“Providing resources to those who are beginning the re-entry phase is a proven method of reducing recidivism,” Wall said.