Crime victims will now be able to locate any of the more than 25,000 inmates in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) at any time thanks to a partnership between DOC and the Attorney General's Office.Last week, DOC fully enrolled in the VINE criminal tracking system, which is being implemented in law enforcement agencies across the state.
"We are pleased that VINE is now operational through the Department of Corrections," Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. "Through DOC's diligent work, Oklahomans will now have 24-hour-a-day access to information they could previously obtain only from a live person during business hours. The system will be available to everyone, but the information is particularly valuable to crime victims who are concerned about their safety and that of their loved ones. I commend DOC Director Justin Jones and his staff for their commitment to this program."
VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. The program allows Oklahomans to be notified, either by phone or e-mail, of changes in a particular inmate's status. Status changes include transfer, release, escape or death.
"We are excited about the opportunity this will provide for crime victims to be automatically notified of status changes of DOC inmates," said Robbie Fullerton, DOC victim liaison. "We are in the process of notifying persons already registered to receive notification through DOC to let them know that they should now sign up for VINE. However, citizens interested in receiving updates regarding upcoming parole proceedings will still have to call the Pardon and Parole Board."
The program is currently in place in 66 counties, and should be operational in the remaining counties by the end of August.
Visit the Oklahoma VINE Web site
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