Can Police use the DNA from Sexual Assault Kits to Arrest Suspects for Later Crimes?
They've been doing it for quite a while in San Francisco
Hello Chaise Lounge readers! This week’s newsletter will be a little lighter on content as I am recovering from minor surgery and just don’t have the bandwidth for any analysis. Hope you enjoy the articles I am highlighting, and I will see you next week!
State ranking 8th in childhood hunger debates expansion of free lunch program
In North Carolina, legislators are arguing as to whether the state should foot the bill for all student lunches. Throughout the pandemic, all states have received extra dollars to provide free lunches for all. But now, some legislators are questioning the practice. Rep. Mark Brody (R-NC550) says,
"I go visit my food banks in there, and there's a lot of food going on. Nobody's being denied anything," he argued. "The idea that kids don't have access to good food – parents just need to buy it and feed it. My mother did that to me."
He seems to miss the point that some parents cannot afford to buy it and feed their children. With North Carolina ranking 8th in the nation for child hunger, one would think they would welcome the money.
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves (and others)
“That’s how I see every one of my professors, I can’t sleep, unless I know they’re OK,” Parker said.
Durham, North Carolina teacher Turquoise Lejeune Parker knows a thing or two about childhood hunger. Since 2015, she has worked with T. Greg Doucette to provide her students with food over the holiday breaks after a parent asked for help. What started as helping her own students, who she calls “professors” has grown into a project where she fundraises enough money to cover food for twelve schools within the district. Perhaps the legislators need to come see for themselves the need in the community. Watch the video above to see Ms. Parker receive kudos for her work!
Can police use the DNA from sexual assault kits to arrest suspects for later crimes?
In San Francisco, the police chief is investigating his own department’s practice of using DNA obtained from sexual assault kits to identify the victims as criminal suspects in other crimes. A woman was recently arrested for a property crime based on a years-old DNA profile from a previous sexual assault. In other words, if I am sexually assaulted and go to the emergency room for a sexual assault examination, the police can keep my DNA in perpetuity to see if I participate in any crimes in the future. While some may say, do the crime, do the time, this practice creates a chilling effect on a victim’s ability to feel safe within the criminal justice system. It is also highly questionable as to whether the sample was consented to for this use and falls under the unreasonable search and seizure protections of the fourth amendment.
The future of work, especially for women
Since the beginning of the pandemic in February of 2020, 1.3 million women have left the workforce. Many would like to return, but the landscape looks different now. In the video above, Katica Roy, CEO of Pipeline, outlines some ideas for what employers need to do to improve equity in the workplace.
This NBC news thinkpiece outlines some innovative ideas for employers to consider to meet the workers’ needs, especially women workers. Some of the suggestions include:
Predictable scheduling to enhance childcare availability.
Not calling meetings within less than 24 hours.
Having a specific time band during which meetings occur. For example, Etsy only has meetings scheduled between 11-2 since children are at school during those times. And even if you have kids at home, you know that these are the predictable hours during which you will need childcare
Offer more people the opportunity to work from home, AND also put processes in place to make sure that those working from home have access to review processes, professional development opportunities, and regular supervision and feedback.