PA SAVIN E-NEWS

Pennsylvania’s Victim Notification Service

March 10, 2008

 

In this issue:

 

          More Counties Come On-Line

          Perspective: Some Peace of Mind by Julia McKelvey

          Something to Think About: PA SAVIN and the Community

          Creating Awareness

          National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

          Plan to Attend Governance Committee Meeting

          New Feature on Website

Technical Support Available

Resources and Contact Information

 

Welcome to PA SAVIN E-News.  SAVIN stands for Statewide Automated Victim Information Notification. PA SAVIN E-News will provide a periodic update on the implementation process of Pennsylvania’s first automated victim notification service.

 

A project of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute (PDAI) and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), PA SAVIN is an innovative service providing crime victims and other concerned citizens free, prompt and confidential notification regarding a county inmate’s release, transfer, or escape.

 

For more information about PA SAVIN and other services available to victims of crime, please log on to www.pacrimevictims.state.pa.us .

 

MORE COUNTIES COME ON-LINE

 

Counties continue to bring PA SAVIN to their communities across Pennsylvania.  To date, 32 counties are committed to providing PA SAVIN services, with 12 already in operation. These counties are home to 68% of Pennsylvania’s population. 

 

Congratulations to Columbia, Clinton, Cumberland, Somerset, Tioga, Union, and Washington  Counties – all of which have held media events over the last several months to make the public aware of PA SAVIN’s availability in their communities.  In addition, Jefferson and Juniata are all scheduled to make their public announcements by the end of March.

 

Check out www.appriss.com/pavine for news clips and video reels of the tremendous coverage these announcements have generated.

 

PERSPECTIVE: Some Peace of Mind, Julia McKelvey

 

Editor’s Note: Ms. McKelvey shared her story during Cumberland County’s PA SAVIN public announcement on January 14,  2008.  A business owner with locations in several Pennsylvania counties, PA SAVIN will be a tool for both Ms. McKelvey, her family and her employees.  The following is an excerpt of her remarks.

 

I, like all victims, have had my life turned completely upside down and until recently, I never really understood what people go through when they become a crime victim. I also never really understood that once the person is put behind bars the ordeal is usually not over and, in many cases like mine, it is only just beginning.

 

What I learned early on in this process is that my life looks completely different when Jim Capozzoli is out of jail vs. when he is behind bars.  When he is behind bars, my family and I go about our lives as we always have and feel safe to go anywhere and do anything that we want to do. 

 

When he is released from prison however, my life, my family’s life and the lives of many of my employees completely changes.  I begin locking the doors of my car, my home, my office…I change my driving patterns, my work hours, my business function locations, my employees are immediately notified and many people go into defense mode until he violates again and is put back behind bars.

 

When he is behind bars I feel safe and when he is not, I don’t. For this reason it is imperative that I am both prepared and informed as to his whereabouts at all times. Under the old system of notification, I was called sometimes right before he was released and sometimes after he had already been released. There were times I did not get the call telling me he was getting out because I did not pick up my phone which I never do unless I recognize the phone number.

The SAVIN program is invaluable to me and to every victim because we will always know when there is any movement with a prisoner and we will have at least some notice if they are being released.  This will give us time to make the inevitable arrangements in our lives and to do what we need to do to ensure our safety to the best of our ability.

I am very dependent on email for my business and am never more than a few minutes away from it so notifying me in this way in addition to my phone will ensure that I get the message that he has been released.  I can also register my father who lives in North Carolina who is just as concerned as I am and he will get the same message at the same time that I will about Jim’s whereabouts.  I can register* my managers in different parts of the state who need to get a message to my employees if he is being released and also to my assistant who can immediately generate a state wide memo to the employees notifying them.

 

I am grateful to all of you involved in getting this program started so that all crime victims like myself can begin to feel a sense of empowerment instead of helplessness.  Thank you.

 

*With PA SAVIN anyone can register to be notified of a county prisoner’s release, transfer, or escape.  Interested persons do not need to be registered under a victim of crime’s name, but rather can register and unregister at will. 

 

QUOTE TO REMEMBER:

 

“Every victim of crime loses a sense of being in control.  SAVIN will not only give back to the victims some peace of mind, it will enable them to regain control over their lives.” – Adrianne Bowermaster, Cumberland County Victim Assistance Officer

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: PA SAVIN and the Community

 

PA SAVIN provides an extra level of safety to victims of crime and their families, but it also can provide valuable services to others in the community.

 

·        Persons living under the same duress as victims through no fault of their own can use PA SAVIN to stay informed of an inmate’s status and location. Relatives and friends of victims, witnesses to violent crimes, and others impacted by an offender’s actions may use PA SAVIN without fear of retaliation. 

 

·        Arresting police officers who give testimony, public officials involved in prosecution, trial, incarceration, and parole supervision of violent criminals can be made aware of the offender’s prison status and location.  PA SAVIN is a service for public safety as well as victim safety.

 

·        PA SAVIN offers a means to help service agencies meet some of the notification requirements of the PA Victims’ Bill of Rights while reducing the burden and cost of notifications.  This can allow agencies to focus more resources on delivery of assistance to victims and their families.

 

·        Local officials charged with providing public safety and awareness of offenders with a history of violent or sexual offenses are using PA SAVIN.  The service provides notice when such offenders are released or transferred into their locale.  This can increase public confidence in the commitment of local officials to ensure public safety.

 

CREATING AWARENESS

 

Getting the word out about PA SAVIN never ends.  Whether your county is just getting started or has already come on line, there is something you can do every day to make your community aware of this tremendous new service.  Consider:

           

1)      Listing the PA SAVIN phone number in the local telephone book’s directory of services;

2)      Provide a link on your agency’s website to PA SAVIN; encourage the district attorney’s office, county commissioners, jail, and victim service organizations to do the same;

3)      Plan a media event promoting PA SAVIN during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 13-19; 

4)      Ask to have PA SAVIN posters displayed at the local emergency rooms, police departments, and the court house.  Then, think outside the box.  Consider putting posters at the fitness centers, grocery stores, and day cares;

5)      Partner with the local radio or TV station to create a public service announcement promoting PA SAVIN.

 

NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS WEEK

 

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 13-19, 2008 serves to remind us that crime can strike anyone.  Whether it’s a drive-by shooting, a campus massacre, an act of terrorism, or a crippling identity theft, we are all vulnerable to crime.  In this sense, victims’ rights are everyone’s rights.  National Crime Victims’ Rights Week serves as an opportunity to celebrate our successes, assess our progress, and prepare for our next set of challenges.  This year’s theme is Justice for Victims is Justice for All.

 

National Crime Victims Rights week is a wonderful opportunity to plan outreach efforts to promote PA SAVIN.  The National Center for Victims of Crime, in partnership with the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice has provided a 2008 Resource Guide with tools and ideas that can help you engage your community in observing this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.  The Resource Guide is available on-line at www.ncvc.org . 

 

Whether you are getting ready to announce PA SAVIN in your county, or have the opportunity to talk about your county’s PA SAVIN results, don’t miss this opportunity to get the word out! PA SAVIN is another way the criminal justice system can provide Justice for Victims – which means Justice for All!

 

PLAN TO ATTEND: PA SAVIN GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE:

 

Governance Committee Members should plan to attend the next Governance Committee meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at PCCD, 3101 N Front Street, Harrisburg.  Project status reports, updates on PA SAVIN resources, ways to promote PA SAVIN during Crime Victims’ Rights Week and a thorough discussion of user issues are all on the agenda. 

 

RSVP Deadline: Thursday, March 13, 2008 @ 4:30.  Please RSVP regarding your attendance to Andrea Warner via phone, fax or email.  Phone: (717) 238-5416; Fax: (717) 231-3912; or E-mail: akwarner@....  Please provide your full name, phone number or e-mail address, and the name of your agency. If you are planning to have someone represent you or attend in your place, please provide that person’s full name, phone number or e-mail address, the name of the agency, and the name of the person he/she is representing.

 

 

NEW FEATURE FOR PA SAVIN VINELINK

 

PA SAVIN is powered by VINELink – the website users use to register for notification.  Now, PA SAVIN VINELink users can now update their information on the Internet.  Previously, VINE users could only update their contact information over the toll free 1-866 number.  Now, users can securely change their phone number, PIN number, and their offender listing by logging on to www.vinelink.com and entering their current phone number and PIN.  Those who still wish to change their information over the phone still can by calling 1-866-9PA SAVIN or 1-866-972-7284.

 

 

 TECHNICAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE

 

The Appriss Operations and Service Center provides technical support for PA SAVIN’s VineLink and VineWatch.  The phone number is: 1-866-Appriss or 1-866-277-7477

For Victim Services Support, Choose Option 1, or email service_center@..., or fax:  502-992-0012

For Technical Customer Service (including VineWatch), Choose Option 2, or email aocd@..., or fax: 800-865-4305

PA SAVIN: RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

 

Project Manager

Andrea Warner, PDAI

(717) 238-5416

akwarner@... 

 

Vendor Information

www.appriss.com

 

PA SAVIN Project Status

www.appriss.com\pavine\

 

PA SAVIN Website

www.pacrimevictims.state.pa.us