UNITY — An automated system designed to notify crime victims when an offender has a change in custody is being implemented in counties across the state, Superintendent David Berry of the Sullivan County Department of Corrections announced Wednesday at the kickoff meeting in Concord.
VINE (Victims’ Information and Notification Everyday) is a free and anonymous service provided through the collaboration of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Sullivan County Department of Corrections and the New Hampshire Association of Counties Superintendent’s Affiliate.
The VINE system allows victims of crime to use the telephone or Internet to search for information regarding the custody status of their offender in a county correctional facility and to register to receive notification when the offender’s custody status changes, such as when the offender is released from jail.
Types of offender information available are name, offender number, current offender custody status, location of the offender and scheduled release date if available.
The New Hampshire VINE system is currently for offenders housed in county correctional facilities and also allows access to offender information in other participating states. New Hampshire VINE is available in multiple languages and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Currently, Rockingham County has deployed VINE and an additional nine counties will be activated with the VINE project. Appriss is the national vendor for VINE implementation and is partnering with New Hampshire for statewide implementation.
VINE serves as a vital community safety resource for victims, victim advocates, victim assistance staff, criminal justice professionals, and community members. It is an additional source of information victims of crime can incorporate into their safety strategies.
Sullivan County Department of Corrections who was responsible for writing, implementing and managing the grant on behalf of the nine participating counties is excited about VINE coming to New Hampshire and considers it one of the most important public safety initiatives we have been involved in.
“As New Hampshire VINE goes live in our counties, we can’t help but feel this will greatly enhance the victims’ knowledge and allow them to better prepare their safety plan for future use,” Barry said.
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