Where States Stand on DNA Collection
June 8: This graphic has been updated.
Return to “The DNA Debacle: How the Federal Government Botched the DNA Backlog Crisis.”
DNA Collection From Convicted Felons
The states filled in with red below collect DNA samples from anyone convicted of a felony. The samples are turned into DNA profiles and are then uploaded to the national DNA database. As the map shows, only Idaho, Nebraska and New Hampshire don’t collect DNA samples from convicted felons.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
DNA Collection From Some Arrestees
The 17 states filled in with red below have a law requiring the collection of DNA samples from people arrested for various crimes, even if they haven’t been convicted. The two states filled in with dark pink have passed such legislation that is awaiting the governor’s signature. The 15 states filled in with light pink currently have legislation pending that would allow them to collect from arrestees, while the unfilled states neither have an arrestee law nor are considering one. Please note that while Texas already collects from people arrested for certain sex offenses, it is considering legislation that would require samples from many more categories of arrestees.
Source: FBI and ProPublica
Update: The second map has been updated to show that both Alabama and Colorado recently passed legislation requiring the collection of DNA samples from people arrested for various crimes. Florida and Missouri also recently passed such legislation, but theirs is awaiting governors’ signatures.
Get Updates
Our Hottest Stories
- Bank of America Lied to Homeowners and Rewarded Foreclosures, Former Employees Say
- Time Out: Federal Complaint Alleges Rampant Abuse in Texas Truancy Program
- Worried about the Mass Surveillance? How to Practice Safer Communication
- Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories
- When Interns Should be Paid: A #ProjectIntern Explainer
- Without a Final Map, New York Rebuilds on Uncertain Ground
- Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military
- Objection Overruled: Top Prosecutor Must Testify in Wrongful Conviction Case
- Rape and Other Sexual Violence Prevalent in Juvenile Justice System
- Remember When the Patriot Act Debate Was All About Library Records?
- Bank of America Lied to Homeowners and Rewarded Foreclosures, Former Employees Say
- The NSA Black Hole: 5 Basic Things We Still Don’t Know About the Agency's Snooping
- Walmart Accepted Clothing from Banned Bangladesh Factories
- The Best Stories on the Government’s Growing Surveillance
- Worried about the Mass Surveillance? How to Practice Safer Communication
- Betting Against the Future: How Industry Loses When Interns Go Unpaid
- Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military
- A Father’s Day Remembrance
- Unpaid Interns Win Major Ruling in 'Black Swan' Case — Now What?
- Remember When the Patriot Act Debate Was All About Library Records?
