The Indiana Department of Correction is pleased to announce the creation of the new Indiana statewide automated victim information and notification (SAVIN). Indiana SAVIN will connect offender holding information at both the state correctional and local jail level and will empower victims by allowing them to call a toll-free number or check a website for offender-status information from anywhere, at any time.  The system allows crime victims or interested parties to register for notification on the status of an offender who is incarcerated and receive immediate notification regarding any change in the status of the offender.  Indiana SAVIN will greatly benefit citizens, law enforcement, courts, prosecuting attorneys, victim advocates, and other justice professionals.
 
To implement Indiana SAVIN, the Department has entered into a contract with Appriss, Inc.  Since 1994, Appriss has provided innovative technology solutions that help hundreds of local, state, and federal government agencies serve and protect their citizens. Appriss’ product, VINE, makes it easy for crime victims and other citizens to obtain timely information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders held in local jails or state prisons.  Indiana SAVIN will be modeled on Appriss’ VINE product.
 
The Indiana SAVIN program will be implemented over a two-year period of time, with the first agencies coming online by the end of April 2007.  Within the next several months the Department will conduct training for law enforcement personnel, justice professionals, and victim services providers throughout the state regarding the Indiana SAVIN system. 
 
To learn more about the Indiana SAVIN system please contact Brent Myers, Technical Project Lead for Indiana SAVIN.  Brent can be reached at 317.233.8648 or you can  e-mail him at bmyers@doc.in.gov.
 
You may also find it helpful to visit Appriss’ VINE website at http://www.appriss.com/VINE.html.  
 
We need your help to successfully launch the service and ensure that victims know how to use it.
 
Thank you for your continued support on this public safety initiative and I look forward to working with you on this issue and other issues in the future. 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
J. David Donahue