How Many of the Hundreds of Thousands of Untested Rape Kits in the US Are in Your City? - Soraya Chemaly
Rape survivors face resistance in fight to test rape kit backlog - Ronan Farrow
*Buzz*
"Thank you, Heather, for all you did, are doing, to keep this subject up front in everyone’s consciousness. I’m sorry it took having to go through what you went through to get to this place but; if the saying good things often come after bad things happen could ever apply more appropriately someone will have to tell me where – as I think this is that example. We (SFPD) have stopped the chance for any future backlog of sexual assault kits as of January of 2014. The SFPD ASAP protocol creates a superior standard to the suggested guidelines in the recently passed California State Assembly Bill 1517. As for the backlog itself, the Department secured a new outsourcing contract for DNA services with two private laboratories. SFPD Crime Lab personnel is working closely with the private labs to direct DNA testing of sexual assault kits to Department standards so that results are eligible for entry into the FBI CODIS database. Many of the backlogged cases have already been sent for analysis. Our goal is to have all backlog cases submitted for analysis to these vendor labs by mid-2015. Utilizing outsourcing in this manner will more than triple the Department's capacity to eliminate the backlog while keeping pace with current analysis demands and; as I already mentioned, effective January of 2014, implementation of the Department's ASAP (Additional Sexual Assault evidence Program) protocol for all sexual assault kits collected allows us to prevent any backlog in the future. Thanks for all your support in making the above happen."
- Greg Suhr, Chief of Police, San Francisco Police Department
"The show was AMAZING. You were incredible. I laughed, I was horrified, I was scared and inspired. It was so well done and you are so brave and talented - truly."
- Suzy Loftus, Former veteran prosecutor for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and former Special Assistant Attorney General to California Attorney General Kamala Harris
"One of the most important pieces of theater I have ever seen." - Alex Gersznowicz
*Awards and Accolades*
THE HAZE accepts award from The Department of The Status of Women and The City of San Francisco! Picture: Andrea Shorter, Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez, Julie Soo, Heather Marlowe, and Alicia Gamez
2013 - Summer, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Grantee
2014 - October 22, THE HAZE Award Recognition, Department on the Status of Women and City of San Francisco
2019 - Criminal Justice Reform Grantee - Vital Projects Fund