Hampton Barringer Luzak is an accomplished marketing professional and business leader who lives in Jackson, Wyoming. Outside of the professional arena, Hampton Luzak supports several charitable organizations, including the Joyful Heart Foundation.
A national nonprofit organization that serves victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault, the Joyful Heart Foundation has been fighting the rape kit backlog through its End the Backlog initiative since 2010. The term “rape kit” refers to a forensic exam that records and preserves potential DNA evidence in the wake of a sexual assault.
Unfortunately, large numbers of rape kits go untested and unanalyzed each year. Experts estimate that thousands of untested kits currently sit on the police department and crime lab shelves. To ensure that every rape kit receives attention, End the Backlog facilities cooperative partnerships among key stakeholders, including law enforcement professionals, forensic analysts, criminal prosecutors, victim advocates, abuse survivors, and government officials at the local, state, and federal levels. It leverages these partnerships to establish best practices and then codify these practices in law.
