Contact: Colleen Roche or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2958
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today unveiled a new computerized system that will for the first time ever give crime victims vital information about criminals and notify them automatically if the offender is released or escapes. The New York City Department of Correction has contracted the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE™) system to provide crime victims with current information on the custody status of the accused.
Joining the Mayor at this afternoon's City Hall press conference were Correction Commissioner Michael Jacobson, Police Commissioner Howard Safir, Katie Lapp, the Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinator, Maria Mitchell, Co-Chair of the Mayor's Commission to Combat Family Violence, Michael Davis, President of VINE™ and victim services advocates.
"This week is Crime Victims' Rights Week in New York City," Mayor Giuliani. "As we remember the victims of crimes and their families, I can think of no better show of support than the VINE™ system. For too long in the criminal justice system, the accused had the upper hand on those they victimized. Crime victims will no longer be left in the dark. With a phone call they will have access to the latest information on their offender. For instance, VINE™ will automatically notify a crime victim when an accused rapist or domestic abuser is about to be released from the City Correstional System."
Correction Commissioner Michael P. Jacobson said, "Citizens should be as informed as possible about their criminal justice system. Crime victims, in particular, have a right to know the outcome and status of the cases of their assailants and I am pleased that Department of Correction is participating in this very important service. It is a collective effort of the criminal justice community to provide victims of crime with information that can be essential to their lives. It is also a recognition of the continuing application of technology to improve the services City agencies provide to all New Yorkers."
Maria Mitchell said, "Victims of domestic violence will now have important information with which to protect themselves both physically and emotionally. Implementation of the VINE™ system demonstrates New York City's continued dedication to supporting victims of domestic violence long after the criminal justice process is complete."
Michael Davis, president of VINE™, "We are enthusiastic about working with New York City. As our largest single community offering the VINE™ program, New York is aggressively bridging the gap between victims of crime and the criminal justice system."
The Victim Information and Notification Everyday service is the state-of-the-art crime victim hotline, the first of its kind in New York State and the largest program of its kind anywhere in the United States. Once the system goes on line by the end of the summer, a 24-hour toll-free hotline will allow victims of crime in New York City to verify the custody status of an offender and register for automatic telephone notification if the offender is released, transferred or escapes. Technical crews are currently completing the VINE connection between New York City and the Call Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
VINE™ is a fully automated computer service that links a National Call Center to offender custody information in New York City via an interface with the New York Detention Center computer system. As new offender custody information is sent to the VINE™ Call Center, VINE™ compares the offender information to a list of victims who have previously registered with the service, when it finds a match it immediately places calls to the appropriate registered victim.
Crime victims can call the VINE™ hotline any time day or night to register for notification or check on the custody of an inmate. All calls to VINE™ are anonymous and completely free for the victim. In most cases, VINE™ will contact the victim within 10 minutes of a scheduled release or transfer.
Currently the VINE™ call center serves over 300 counties in over 15 states including New Jersey, Texas, California and Florida.