Speaking at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center before a crowd that included victim-witness advocates, law enforcement and legislators, Fairfax Sheriff Stacey Kincaid and the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) announced Virginia’s launch of a greatly enhanced version of Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VA VINE).

VA VINE was first implemented in all of Virginia’s local and regional jails in 2006, providing real-time, automated notification to registered victims on changes in an offender’s custody status. Nationally, VINE has been serving victims since 1994 and continues to evolve with advancements in technology and law enforcement.

“VINE is a critical tool in victims’ immediate and long-term recovery, aiding in their safety plans and helping them feel prepared and empowered,” said Sheriff Kincaid. “When an offender is entered into a jail booking system, his or her information is automatically sent to VINE, which allows victims to search for the offender and immediately register for notifications. Since its launch in 2006, VA VINE has provided more than one million Virginians with real-time notifications on custody status changes for incarcerated offenders.”

According to John Jones, Executive Director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, 100 percent of Virginia’s local and regional jails participate in VA VINE. “VINE is not just for victims of crime. It is also used by members of law enforcement, advocates, judges and attorneys to help keep track of offenders, both for their own knowledge, and to assist the victims with whom they are working.”

The enhanced VA VINE system will offer a statewide and national service provider directory, allowing victims of crimes to search for, and connect with, services in their community, including physical support and access to counseling, job training, food banks and free clinics. The enhanced system also will include a more robust mobile application. As other states expand their VINE programs, advocates and victims can use this app across the country to find the services they need, no matter where they travel.

The following are details on how VA VINE is helping Virginians every day:

2016 VA VINE

• 62,615 Virginians registered to use VA VINE’s services.
• 151,900 notifications were provided to Virginia’s VINE users through outbound calls, emails, text messages, letters and TTY (for deaf or hearing impaired individuals).
• 3,786,568 offender searches were conducted using the VA VINE website and mobile applications.
• 35,240 inbound phone calls were made to the VA VINE service number.

For more information about victim services, please visit the Virginia Department of Corrections web page: https://vadoc.virginia.gov/victim/