(Wampsville, NY- April 2013) Crime victims, survivors, and those who serve them are joining together to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21 to 27. This year’s theme — “New Challenges, New Solutions” — calls on us to expand the vision that inspired the movement and celebrate the progress achieved to date.
Sheriff Allen Riley is committed to advancing the rights of victims. In partnership with the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute, the sheriff’s office offers two critical programs for victims: the New York Sheriffs’ Victim Hotline (VINE) and the SAVIN-NY Order of Protection Notification Program.
The first, the New York Sheriffs Victim Hotline (www.VINELink.com or 1-888-VINE-4-NY) addresses the right for crime victims to be notified when the offender who harmed them is released from jail or prison. VINE is a free, confidential service available to everyone in New York State.
The Sheriffs’ Victim Hotline gives victims, and other concerned citizens, around-the-clock access to the custody status of offenders in jail and provides automated telephone or email notification to registered victims when an inmate is released. VINE was created in 1994 following the murder of Mary Byron in Louisville, Ky. She and her parents had asked to be notified when Mary’s ex-boyfriend was released from jail. They were never told that he was released, and he murdered Mary on her 21st birthday.
The second, the SAVIN-NY Order of Protection Notification Program (www.SAVIN-NY.com), allows individuals who have been granted Family Court orders of protection to register to receive alerts when those orders are served. SAVIN-NY was created because the period of time immediately following the service of orders of protection can be particularly dangerous for victims, as offenders can be more violent during a time of separation. The program is active in all counties in New York State outside of New York City. SAVIN-NY, which stands for Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Network-New York, allows registered victims of domestic violence and other crimes to receive notifications of service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via text message, e-mail, fax, automated phone call, web query or iAlertz, a free application for the iPhone or iPad.
“Victims have their basic human rights of fairness, dignity, and respect stripped away during a crime,” Sheriff Riley explained. “We provide these programs to help restore those rights by keeping victims informed and involved in their cases.”
For additional information about the New York Sheriffs’ Victim Hotline and SAVIN-NY Order of Protection Program for Madison County, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (315) 366-2318, or visit our website at www.madisoncountysheriff.us
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