VINE
(Victim Information and Notification Everyday)
What is VINE?
Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) is a fully
automated, information and notification service that immediately notifies registered users
upon a change in an offender's status. VINE can relay important custody, court or arrest
information in a matter of minutes, anywhere in the US, via
How does VINE work?
A centralized, national Call Center located in Louisville, KY constantly monitors inmate
activity through an interface with the on-site booking system or other existing
record-keeping system. Updated inmate records are automatically sent to the VINE Call
Center.
Callers dial a toll-free VINE number to check the custody status of
an offender and to register with VINE to receive automatic telephone notification upon a
change in the custody status of the offender. When a change in inmate status is received,
VINE reacts to automatically call all registered persons.
Calls continue for 24 hours or until a successful notification is
verified with the registered person's Personal Identification Number (PIN).
The VINE service may also create notification letters for designated
victims. Notification letters for victims are printed to a VINE workstation at the
customer's site. VINE can also notify registered users via pager, letter or email.
What does the VINE service provide?
Standard information with the VINE service includes inmate custody status and location,
sentence expiration date and additional text providing the caller with referral
information.
Notifications are placed to registered persons upon the transfer,
release, escape or death of an inmate.
VINE can support any language that can be scripted and recorded.
Examples include Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian.
The standard VINE program can easily be expanded to include optional
services such as live operator assistance, case and court information and arrest
notification.
If you are concerned about an inmate in jail or prison in Nebraska,
call the VINE toll-free hotline, 24 hours a day to hear custody information. You may
also register over the phone to receive automatic telephone notification if the inmate is
released, transferred or escapes.
1-877-NE-4-VINE (1-877-634-8463).
Please have the following information ready:
NOTE: DO NOT depend solely on the VINE service for your
protection. If you feel that you may be at risk, take precautions as if the inmate
has already been released.
Company History
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, The VINE Company was founded by Mike
Davis and Yung Nguyen in 1995 for the purpose of developing and providing automated
information services for criminal justice agencies. The company's mission, "Serving
criminal justice through automated technology," began with the creation of VINE,
Victim Information and Notification Everyday.
After the murder of Mary Byron in Jefferson County, KY, in December
of 1993, local officials began searching for a method of notifying crime victims when
their attackers were released from jail. They soon found that throughout the United States
there was no fast, effective means for providing this type of notification. Based on these
findings, Jefferson County set out to create a first-of-its-kind notification service
utilizing state-of-the-art computer technology.
The VINE Company was selected to develop the automated component of
the service. The result was Victim Information and Notification Everyday. The VINE system,
an advanced computer network, integrated the existing inmate database at the Jefferson
County jail with a centralized telephone call center.
From this breakthrough in
technology, The VINE Company pioneered the Call Center approach to tracking
inmate data and notifying victims of violent crimes when their attackers are
released from custody. Toll-free VINE hotlines connect victims in communities,
large and small, throughout the United States to vital inmate information. The
national Call Center serves more than 650 counties across the United States and
Canada.
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