NCJ Number
181961
Date Published
1999
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) Company set up the first automated victim notification system in Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 1995; since that launch, criminal justice agencies in more than 33 States have contracted with the company to provide similar services to victims in their communities.
Abstract
The heart of VINE is the call center. Apart from one or two operators working there, the call center is bank of computers and every local VINE number leads to the computers and all notifications originate there. Essentially an information hub, the call center continuously collects and matches up offender and victim data. When the VINE Company provides the primary service, host agencies have to make technological and operational adjustments to accommodate the system. Victims are involved in accordance with confidentiality, legal requirements, and other factors. Public awareness and community education are part of the VINE package. Despite many differences among VINE systems, they all have one thing in common, automated notification. The type of information varies from place to place, depending on the agencies involved (police, jails, probation, prisons, courts, and parole), and the process of notifying people can take different forms and patterns. Proprietary and cost issues associated with the VINE system are addressed. 15 footnotes and 1 figure