Statewide service offers added protection for crime victims

Sheriff Tom Bosenko recently announced a new service available to the citizens of Shasta County.

VINE, which stands for "Victim Information and Notification Everyday," provides current custody information on offenders incarcerated in Shasta County.

VINE is an automated service available 24-hours-a-day by telephone or internet. Victims of crime and citizens in general can register with the service to be automatically notified when an offender is released or transferred from custody.

"Protecting the citizens of Shasta County is always my highest priority," said Sheriff Bosenko.

"VINE provides an added level of protection because it gives everyone access to timely and accurate information on offenders in our custody and throughout the state. I am delighted to make this important service available to Shasta County residents."

Citizens can also go online to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Web site at http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/html/Sheriff/sh_index.htm to locate an offender and register for notification.

VINE is also accessible by calling 1-877-411-5588 toll-free. The offender's name or county ID number is required in order to register with the service. Anyone registering will need to also provide a four-digit personal identification number (PIN) and contact information such as a phone number and/or email address. Registration is anonymous.

"VINE is definitely designed with the victim in mind. It's very user-friendly," Sheriff Bosenko said. "What makes it special is the automatic notification feature - as long as you've got a telephone or a computer, you can receive an automated alert anytime, day or night. That kind of protection is critically important to anyone who's concerned about the whereabouts of an offender."

In additional effort to facilitate crime victims' access to critical offender information, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office will implement an enhancement to the VINE service. This enhancement will allow direct access to VINE registration from the in-custody portion of the Sheriff's Web site. By selecting an offender listed on the Web site, a direct link to VINE will be available allowing the citizen to track the custody status of offenders in jail and register to be notified when an offender's custody status changes. Adding the VINE Web link reduces the time a victim spends searching for offender information by seamlessly connecting users to the service, decreasing their wait and search times while simultaneously reducing incoming calls to jails and correctional facilities.

VINE is made possible, in part, through a U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance grant for Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN). Administered by the California State Sheriff's Association. VINE is free of charge and available throughout California as well as much of the Nation.

The goal of the SAVIN grant program is to increase public safety and improve basic criminal justice decisions by ensuring that victims are given timely and accurate information that both enhances their ability to protect themselves, and ensures they are able to fully participate in the criminal justice process.