By Patricia Bogumil
Staff Writer
Racine County has a new automated system that notifies victims – or even just nosey neighbors – when a jail inmate connected to a particular case is released.
The Wisconsin Victim Information and Notification Everyday system, or WI-VINE, connects to the County’s booking system. It alerts registered users when an offender transfers facilities, posts bond or escapes.
Sheriff Christopher Schmaling announced the April 22 start of the system in Racine County, and said he was proud to have Teri Jendusa-Nicolai by his side in a show of support.
She is a victim rights advocate and Town of Waterford resident who made national headlines in 2004 when her ex-husband beat her with a baseball bat, kidnapped her from Racine County and left her for dead in Illinois before rescuers found her.
The new system allows anyone concerned about the whereabouts of an offender to be notified upon a change in custody status, such as release, transfer or escape – information that is vital to victims concerned for their safety.
With WI-VINE, notifications can all be done online anonymously and confidentially, Schmaling said. Log on to the web site www.vinelink.com, search for an offender by name and then register for automatic notifications to be sent.
“This is the best part – nobody knows that you sign up for it,” Schmaling said.
Alerts can be sent to multiple telephone numbers and/or email addresses. Live operator assistance is also available 24 hours a day toll-free at (888) 944-8463 seven days a week for callers who have questions or need additional help.
The VINE service has operated through the United States for more than 16 years, noted Schmaling. “The service is certainly designed with the victim in mind. It is very user-friendly.”
What makes WI-VINE special is its automatic notification feature, he added.
“As long as you have a telephone or a computer, you can receive an automated alert any time of the day or night,” Schmaling said.
If a person does not confirm that the alert has been received, WI-VINE will continue to send the alert notification until the user confirms receipt by their Personal Identification Number, he added.
Racine County is the last of the 72 counties in Wisconsin to sign on to WI-VINE. Walworth County went online with it April 17. Kenosha County activated its program in May of 2012.
The issue for Racine County has been a technical one, Schmaling said. Technicians had to develop a whole new interface to ensure proper communications between the WI-VINE computers and the computer programs used in Racine County.
Once developed, extensive testing and monitoring then began before the county announced the WI-VINE system startup April 22, Schmaling explained.
Pilot program here
Besides securing the protective value of the current WI-VINE program, Racine County has been selected to soon pilot an enhancement to the program called “VPO,” for Vine Protective Order, said Schmaling.
With VPO, victims are notified when a protective order has been served, he said.
When sheriff’s deputies serve a protective order, they will then immediately log that information into the VPO system while still in their squad, Schmaling said.
It’s important for that information to become immediately available, Schmaling explained, because the time right after a protective order is served is dangerous, with the offender feeling angry about the victim securing the order.
“Protecting the citizens of Racine County is always our highest priority,” Schmaling said.
The WI-VINE services provide an added level of protection, he said, giving everyone access to timely and accurate information on offenders in Racine County and throughout the state.
The background
The activation of the WI-VINE service was funded by a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Since 2005, the Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) grant program administered by the BJA has nearly doubled the number of states providing automated victim notification.
The goal of the SAVIN program is to increase public safety and improve vital criminal justice decisions by ensuring that victims and community members are given timely and accurate information that enhances their ability to protect themselves.
VINE was created after the 1993 murder of Mary Byron, a woman who was shot to death in Kentucky on her 21st birthday by her ex-boyfriend. He had been jailed for raping her and was released without her knowledge.
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