Hoosiers Can Track Inmate Status
Indiana is now part of a multi-state inmate tracking network called SAVIN (Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification), which is available around the clock at www.vinelink.com or by calling 1-866-959-8463.
Now, residents in Indiana can access the status of more than 27,000 inmates in the state’s correctional system as well as county jails in Floyd, Marion, Warrick, and Henry counties.
Residents can opt to be notified about inmates’ placement, release, transfer, or other changes, and can use the service anonymously in English or Spanish.
Java Ahmed with the Indiana Department of Correction said additional counties would be added to the system as the technology expands and more prison officials become trained. By the end of 2008, all 92 counties in the state are scheduled to be online, she said.
The U.S. Congress committed $17 million to launch the nationwide system, and Indiana received roughly $1.25 million. The state is providing approximately $950,000 in matching funds for the initiative through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the state Department of Correction.
Becky Dunlap with Crisis Connections anticipates that SAVIN will help reduce her organization’s need to consult with law enforcement and prosecutors.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the Louisville Courier Journal (KY) (05/16/07) P. 1B; Weidenbener, Lesley Stedman.