GRAYSLAKE – After months of discussion, negotiation and development of a plan to support sexual assault survivors, State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) is pleased to see the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Forensic Services (DFS) has unveiled a sexual assault evidence tracking system to allow survivors to track the status of their case.

“Every day, survivors await justice, and now they will be able to track the progress of their kit,” Bush said. “Though nothing can undo the pain survivors experienced, I hope this new tracking system empowers survivors to continue moving forward.”

Through ISP’s new tracking system, survivors of sexual assault will be able to monitor the status of the evidence in their case, from collection at the hospital, through law enforcement pick-up and submission to the forensic lab, and ultimately to the State's Attorney's office, where final results will be received. The system, called CheckPoint, can only be accessed by unique case numbers and passwords to ensure privacy of survivors and law enforcement.

“The CheckPoint system will allow survivors to have real-time information about their evidence while protecting their privacy,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “This point-by-point knowledge of the location of their evidence will help to empower survivors and foster public trust in the system. ISP DFS personnel remain committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault through transparency and accountability.”

Currently, any survivor of sexual assault who seeks a forensic medical exam at a health care facility that has implemented the CheckPoint system is able to track the progress of their evidence in the system.

Bush served on the Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting Commission, which recommended the tracking system in its final report in 2018. The report can be found here.