The SAVIN (State Automated Victim Identification and Notification) system, an expansion of Victim Information and Notification Everyday, is an invaluable system that is available for all crime victims, their families and any concerned citizens. It was created in Jefferson County, Kentucky in response to a local tragedy. Mary Byron was murdered in 1993 on her 21st birthday by a former boyfriend who had been arrested and jailed for stalking, assaulting, and raping her. She was not notified of this man’s release. Almost a year to the day of her murder, the system was introduced in Kentucky.

This system allows crime victims to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal offenders 24 hours a day – over the telephone, through the Internet, or by e-mail. Victims and other concerned citizens can call to inquire about the current status of an inmate, and can register to be notified immediately upon a change in the inmate’s status such as release or escape.

Since January 2000, the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system has existed at the Department of Corrections’ facilities in Virginia. The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association received a $1.25 million dollar grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to implement the program in every regional and local jail throughout the Commonwealth over the next two and a half years. VCPI is overseeing the logistics of this implementation.

For additional questions regarding our efforts to bring Victim Information and Notification Everyday to all of Virginia’s facilities, please contact Pat Conwell at pconwell@vcpionline.org

How VICTIM INFORMATION AND NOTIFICATION EVERYDAY works:

• The system communicates with jails and prison booking systems in near real-time, transmitting updated information.
• Crime victims and the general public can access the information by calling a local toll-free number, or logging onto www.vinelink.com, any time of the day or night.
• Victims can inquire whether an offender is held in jail as well as the facility’s location.
• Users can register to be notified immediately of a change in the offender’s status, such as release, transfer or escape.
• When a notification is triggered, the system automatically calls the number or numbers the victim has provided.
• Calls continue for a designated period of time, or until the victim enters a four-digit PIN.

Benefits of VICTIM INFORMATION AND NOTIFICATION EVERYDAY:

• Users can receive around-the-clock support, with a staff of live operators to assist victims and technicians who monitor all Victim Information and Notification Everyday systems.
• It saves taxpayers money by eliminating the need to manually notify victims, allowing staff to focus on their core responsibilities.
• It provides life-saving services to victims at no cost.
• It helps satisfy most states’ legislative requirement for victim notification.
• Depending on the community, victims can interface with the system in multiple languages.
• Victim Information and Notification Everyday generates about 500,000 notification calls per month.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2006VNCX0002 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. That is why the BJA logo appears on this webpage. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office
for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United State Department of Justice:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/