Felony Arrestee DNA Collection: Concerns, Benefits, and Perspectives for Arizona

Criminal justice discourse has so far almost ignored a growing movement in police DNA collection, felony arrest DNA collection. Felony arrest collection is the practice of taking a DNA sample from everyone arrested for a felony, not charged nor convicted of a felony. To address this, this thesis project examines the history, concerns, and future of felony arrest DNA collection. It will use a failed attempt to pass felony arrest DNA collection bills in Arizona from 2022, as a case study to understand why this issue is so contentious, and what current evidence there is to support the two emerging sides of this debate. These bills, HB 2102 and 2572, started and died in the state legislature without much fanfare. However, felony arrest DNA collection has received academic attention, with discussions ranging from racial inequality to the security of databases. To bridge the gap, this project will bring academic information and original reporting to the public through the lens of the 2022 bills. It will contribute interviews with relevant political parties, a synthesis from academic sources, and transparent DNA collection rates in Arizona to create a base of knowledge for the future discussions surrounding felony arrest DNA collection.