KPAX
HELENA — The Montana Department of Corrections (MDOC) has expanded its free automated notification service for victims of the 13,000 adult felony offenders under state supervision.
Victims can register with the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system to receive phone, email, text or teletype (TTY) messages about changes in the custody status or location of any adult felony offender as he or she moves through the corrections system.
VINE began tracking the 8,400 Montana offenders on probation and parole late last year, a significant addition to a system that previously tracked only those in prisons and prerelease centers - less than a third of the total offender population.
“The VINE system is critical to our victim service strategy because it helps keep victims safe. Victims tell us that knowing where their offenders are at the moment improves their sense of security and helps them reclaim some of the personal power the crime took away from them,” Sally Hilander of MDOC said in a news release.
Full story: MT Department of Corrections expands crime victim notification system