Eliminating the backlog of untested rape kits and preventing a backlog from ever occurring again

Ending the backlog means systemic, survivor-centered reform throughout the entire justice system

End the Backlog has one clear, ambitious goal: to eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits and prevent a backlog from occurring again. We collaborate with diverse partners to make fundamental reforms that will safeguard survivors’ wellbeing and support their varied paths to seeking justice.

The national effort to End the Backlog of rape kits is the cornerstone of Joyful Heart’s policy and advocacy work. Our goal is to end this injustice by identifying the extent of the nation’s backlog and best practices for eliminating it. We do this by expanding the dialogue on rape kit testing through increased public awareness, sharing groundbreaking research, engaging survivors, communities, government agencies and officials and by advocating for comprehensive rape kit reform legislation and policies based on our six pillars of reform. Ultimately, we seek to change attitudes about sexual violence and abuse, educate the public, improve systems to lessen the trauma survivors experience and ensure greater access to justice for survivors.

When we started this work in 2010, there was no comprehensive, best practice approach for rape kit reform. Our early work showed the effectiveness and necessity of a system-wide, multidisciplinary team approach. From there, we developed best practices, including mandating the testing of all kits and establishing rape kit tracking systems, that have served as a national model for jurisdictions tackling reform. These best practices have been validated by federal guidelines for the handling of rape kits.

Today our work focuses on expanding the national dialogue on rape kit testing through increased public awareness, engaging communities, government agencies, and officials and continuing to advocate for comprehensive rape kit reform legislation and policies at the local, state and federal levels, while acting as a watchdog for effective implementation of those policies. 

We continually track the progress of all 50 states in enacting laws and policies embracing our six legislative pillars of comprehensive rape kit reform. These are criteria experts have determined are critical elements in eliminating the untested rape kit backlog once and for all.