The Alaska Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (AK-SAKI) Research Component: A Process Improvement Analysis of the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s Sexual Assault Investigation, Prosecution, And Victim-Survivor Engagement And Support Processes

Abstract

The research component of the Alaska Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (AK-SAKI) was designed to guide the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) and their agency partners in making recommendations to improve sexual assault investigations, prosecutions, and victim-survivor engagement and support processes. Using qualitative interview data from key stakeholders including victim-survivors, quantitative survey responses from victim-survivors, and agency records from DPS and the Alaska Department of Law, three questions are answered in this report: 1. What are key stakeholders’ experiences with sexual assault investigations, prosecutions, and victim-survivor engagement and support, and how do those experiences compare to their perceptions of just outcomes? 2. How common are the experiences and just outcomes identified by key stakeholders? 3. What factors shape the likelihood of achieving those just outcomes?