Womenspace advises VINE users to take precautions such as having a safety plan.
A new safety and awareness tool has been introduced to the crime victims of Lane County.
The Victim Information and Notification Everyday system notifies crime victims of offender transfers, placements or release from custody. VINE, which electronically links the Oregon Department of Corrections computer database and the Lane County Jail’s database to VINE’s National Call Center, automatically notifies any person registered to receive offender information via live operator calls.
Providing information in English and Spanish, the system is available in more than 40 states and 900 communities across the United States and Canada. Lane County is the 35th county to implement the system in Oregon, which is the first state in the nation to provide notification on offenders’ movements under parole/post-prison and probation supervision.
“It’s an important service because it gives people information they can use to make vital decisions,” Lane County Community Corrections Manager Grant Nelson said. “Having an automated system that is run by computers rather than people means it’s cheaper, and it avoids human intervention.”
Corrections officials in Jefferson County, Kentucky, implemented the system in 1994 in response to the brutal murder of Louisville resident Mary Byron on Dec. 8, 1993. After she was kidnapped and raped by her former boyfriend, Byron had requested to be notified if he made bail, but no one made the call when it was posted. The boyfriend murdered Byron on her 21st birthday, which prompted Jefferson County officials to reassess victim notification.
Court and corrections officials partnered with VINE company technology specialists and launched the automated VINE system one year after Byron’s murder. University Sexual Wellness Advocacy team intern adviser Whitney Zeigler said the services provided by the VINE system are very important to the safety and inner strength of women who are in danger of being revictimized.
“Women shouldn’t have to live in fear,” the first-year graduate student said. “If this system gives them a little more control over their lives, that’s empowering.”
Calls to victims originate from the VINE system in Kentucky and continue every half hour for 24 hours if there is no answer, or until notification is received and confirmed with a personal identification number. The system even includes an automated telephone hot line service with 24-hour tool-free telephone access to the current status of offenders.
Considering that certain conditions apply to the VINE system — including having caller ID service — Womenspace Community Outreach Director Margo Schaefer said users should call VINE to check in and make sure they know how it works. Anyone interested can call (877) 674-8463 seven days a week at any time for offender information or to register for the VINE program.
Despite VINE’s complete system, local crime victim advocates such as Schaefer have stressed the importance of creating a personal plan that incorporates the new system instead of using it alone.
“No one should rely on this system to keep themselves safe, which is why Womenspace offers ‘safety plans,’” Schaefer said, referring to specific plans centered around services offered by Womenspace.
People who would like to create a Womenspace safety plan or talk to an advocate about the VINE system can visit the Womenspace advocacy center at 1551 Oak St., Suite D, or visit the organization’s Web site at www.enddomesticviolence.com for more information about local services.
“(VINE’s) a great tool,” she added, “but it’s not the whole toolbox.”
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