Senate committee approves DNA collection of prison inmates

A dna helix representation. Photo: Titima Ongkantong/ Shutterstock.

The Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to expand the collection of DNA samples to all criminals convicted to serve sentences in medium and maximum security prisons. Currently, the law only requires the collection of DNA samples from people convicted of crimes involving serious violence or rape.

The bill was originally proposed by Senator Leila Barros to moderately expand the list of crimes that would trigger DNA collection. Senator Sergio Moro, in his capacity as rapporteur, amended the text to include all criminals sentenced to serve time in medium and maximum security prisons, as soon as they arrive at the penitentiary facility.

He also proposed DNA collection when a judge receives a complaint for certain crimes, such as those involving serious violence, the possession or spread of child sexual abuse images, and organized gangs with firearms.

DNA banks for criminal investigation purposes, Mr. Moro added, are much larger in developed countries such as the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Senator Jorge Kajuru proposed the bill be named after Rachel Genofre, a nine-year-old girl found dead in a bus station in 2008. In 2019, DNA analysis on Carlos Eduardo dos Santos — an inmate that was in prison for other crimes — identified him as the culprit. He was later convicted of the murder.

The bill will now proceed to the House.