ONE MAJOR AREA OF POTENTIAL INVESTIGATIVE VALUE IN CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT HAD BEEN NEGLECTED--PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. THIS OBSERVATION WAS MADE BY THE SEROLOGY UNIT OF THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY. THREE RECURRING DEFICIENCIES IN PHYSICAL EVIDENCE WERE NOTED: (1) AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE WAS COLLECTED; (2) NO STANDARD COMPARISON SAMPLES FROM A VICTIM WERE SUBMITTED; AND (3) IN MANY CASES, THE EVIDENCE SUBMITTED WAS IMPROPERLY PACKAGED AND PRESERVED. THE MAJORITY OF EVIDENCE PROBLEMS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO MEDICAL PERSONNEL UNTRAINED IN FORENSIC SCIENCE. A PROTOTYPE SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE KIT WAS PRODUCED AND FIELD TESTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL CENTER AND WAYNE COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL. AFTER ABOUT 8 MONTHS OF TESTING, THE CONTENTS OF THE KIT WERE IMPROVED. THE FINAL PRODUCTION MODEL OF THE KIT CONTAINS A LARGE PAPER ENVELOPE THAT FORMS THE OUTER CONTAINER FOR THE KIT, AN INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR THE EXAMINING PHYSICIAN, A SET OF MULTIPLE COPY FORMS, A PLASTIC COMB FOR HAIR COMBINGS, EIGHT GLASS MICROSCOPE SLIDES FROSTED ON ONE END, THREE PACKAGES OF STERILE COTTON SWABS, THIRTEEN SMALL PREPRINTED ENVELOPES, TWO SWATCHES OF COTTON CLOTH (ONE FOR BLOOD STAINS AND ONE FOR SALIVA STAINS), AND A LOCK-SEAL EVIDENCE ENVELOPE. THE ASSEMBLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE KIT ARE DETAILED, AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN OBTAINING AND PRESERVING EVIDENCE IS DOCUMENTED. (DEP)