Colorado's backlog of untested rape kits shot to the forefront of state attention in January, when a sexual assault survivor detailed her "real-life nightmare" to lawmakers.

Miranda Gordon had been waiting more than 400 days for the state to process DNA evidence from her assault. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation 's goal turnaround time for rape kits is ninety days, but in January, testing took 517 days on average. During that wait, victims are often unable to pursue criminal charges, restraining orders or, at times, even learn the full extent of what happened to them.

Five months after Gordon shared her story, the average turnaround time for rape kits is even longer, reaching 568 days as of May 31, according to the CBI. But change may at last be on the way.

Governor Jared

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