Crime victims and other concerned citizens in Beltrami County will soon have immediate access to information on the custody status of offenders. Beltrami County has joined Minnesota's statewide victim notification program -- VINE® (Victim Information & Notification Everyday).
Users in Minnesota can call toll-free (1-877-MN-4-VINE) or log onto www.vinelink.com to obtain up-to-date information about offenders in Department of Corrections and county detention facilities. The service is available 24 hours a day, both in English and Spanish, and also includes operator assistance.
As an enhanced feature of the statewide system, crime victims in Beltrami County will be automatically registered with VINE when their case information is entered into the jail booking system. Notification calls will immediately be made to victims informing them that they have been registered with VINE. At that time, they will be asked to select a four-digit personal identification (PIN) code for all future notifications. As registered VINE users, they will be notified immediately upon a change in the offender's status -- such as a release, transfer, or escape.
About Appriss Appriss Inc., the Louisville, Ky.-based company that provides VINE, has also worked with a team led by AT&T Government Solutions Inc. to provide automated notification services to victims of Federal crimes through the U.S. Department of Justice. The VINE system handles more than 400,000 calls per month and is available in more than 1,500 communities in 40 states -- including 20 of the nation's largest metropolitan areas.