But with knowledge comes power, and a unique information system called VINE is now giving crime victims and law enforcement a leg up in the battle against crime. VINE, or Victim Information and Notification Everyday, is an automated notification system that allows registered users to know almost immediately of any change in the holding status of a particular offender. This information can be sent via telephone, e-mail or pager to crime victims, and is usually delivered within 15 minutes of a change in an offender's status.
Appriss Inc., a Kentucky-based technology company that specializes in automation systems, developed the program. Appriss computers monitor participating law enforcement agency's booking systems, noting any changes in inmate status. That information is then forwarded to a main control center in Louisville before being dispatched to registered crime victims. There is also a toll-free number users can call at any time to get updates.
Prior to VINE, crime victims relied on local law enforcement officials to let them know if a criminal had been released or moved to another institution, or simply followed up on their own with phone calls or letters. Using VINE, a victim can be notified that an inmate is about to be freed before that person can get from the jail to the street.
It is a tall order to keep all the changes up to date. "We handle about 8 million data records and another half million phone calls a month," said Mike Davis, president and co-founder of Appriss. "We are automated, but we also have a staff here 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer incoming phone calls."
The Impetus
The ensuing public outcry for a better way to keep crime victims informed prompted Davis and Appriss co-founder Yung Nguyen to create VINE, which debuted in Jefferson County, Ky., in 1995. It is now being used in 1,400 communities in 38 states across the nation.
"Fully 50 percent of the offenders in the United States are being tracked by us," said Davis.
The federal government has also come on board. The FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal prison system all utilize VINE to track prisoner movement and status changes.
VINE informs registered users of the release, escape, transfer or death of an inmate. Sentence expiration date is also available, as is referral information for additional victim services. All of this is offered in any language that can be scripted and recorded. The program can also be expanded to include live operator assistance, court information and arrest notification. If a user has chosen to be notified by phone, VINE's automated notification calls continue for a 24-hour period, or until a successful connection is verified with the user's personal identification number.
That around-the-clock capability is what sets VINE apart from older, paper-based systems.
"Automation really simplifies the process," said victim's rights advocate Anne Seymour. "A paper system simply does not allow for 24/7 notification. The automation really does allow for a much greater level of cost effectiveness."
While VINE is a free service to registered users, the cost for law enforcement agencies to implement the system varies by community size. The price tag for getting on board can range from $200 to $200,000 annually. Ada County, Idaho, a typical small-market, spent approximately $17,500 to start up the program and allocates another $30,000 annually to run it. Ada County, which includes Boise, purchased an upgraded program with live operators for both English and Spanish speaking users.
Help at Hand
The cost undoubtedly influences a community's decision to use VINE. But because every state has laws requiring victim notification of inmate status changes, many states use federal dollars to help offset the system's costs.
Though prices vary by size, Davis assures users that equality of coverage does not.
"Some of our users are very small rural counties," he said. "But it does not matter. A small community in Nebraska will get the same kind of service as they do in New York City."
Ada County has been using VINE since December with what Captain Roy Holloway calls very positive results. "I think this is a really good system," Holloway said. "It is very comforting to have something like this in place."
Rick Jones, manager of Corporate Communication for Appriss, said VINE initially met with some resistance from law enforcement personnel fearful that the program would double their workloads or, worse, automate their jobs. However, that resistance didn't last long.
Aiding the system's acceptance was the fact that law enforcement personnel realized they, too, could benefit from the system.
"Police officers, judges and lawyers get threatened all the time," said Seymour. "Now they realize that they can also register and be notified of these changes for their own safety."
Richard Ehisen is a freelance writer based in Sacramento, Calif.