Inmate Alert To Expand To Area Jails
Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine wants to broaden the state’s Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system to include local and regional prisons. VINE, which is currently being used primarily by the state’s jail system, notifies crime victims of inmates’ status changes.
Kaine says it may take 2.5 years for the system to be expanded to include city, county, and regional prisons, which currently rely on manual reporting.
VINE is an automated criminal tracking and notification system developed by Appriss that scans prison lists every 15 minutes and is capable of transmitting data via the Internet, emails, and automated telephone calls; individuals can also access the data through a toll-free number.
VINE is a collaborative effort of the state, the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, and the Virginia Community Policing Institute.
A grant of $1.25 million from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance will fund the initial phase-in, and the state’s annual cost is estimated to be approximately $600,000.
Notifying victims of whether criminals have escaped, been released, or been transferred is a right under the state’s Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Newport News Daily Press (Va.) (08/19/06) P. C1; Williams, Beverly N.