Crime victims in Virginia can now get real-time updates on protective orders, thanks to an update from Victim Information and Notification Everyday, or VINE.
“That feeling of holding your breath and not knowing when you can let it go: that’s what Virginians across the state are feeling as they wait to find out if protective orders have been issued on their behalf.” said Lynda Schwartz, executive director of the National Center for Policing Innovation. “That expectation of, ‘Oh, I don’t know when I’ll be able to relax and breathe again.’ That is what we are addressing with this VPO program, the improvement of the Virginia Protective Order notification in the VINE system.”
She said victim advocates, court staff and law enforcement requested updates on protective orders to make the process easier. Traditionally, victims with a protection order had to call the local police to find out whether the order had been issued.
While it worked in many cases, Schwartz said it wasn’t the most efficient process for survivors who needed to create a safety plan. Now they can sign up for phone, text, or email alerts about their protective orders, in addition to VINE’s updates on an inmate’s custody status.
“What will happen now is that anyone can register to receive automatic notification when that protective order is served, and they will get a message on their phone that it has been served, she said. “They have that information and can then build it into their safety plan.”
In Virginia, VINE reports that nearly 100,000 registrations have been made to receive changes in offenders’ custody status, and more than 500,000 custody transfer or release notices have been sent to Virginians since the state joined the system in 2006. By the afternoon of June 6, 933 notifications had been sent that day.
The system was created in Kentucky, where 21-year-old Mary Byron was murdered in 1993 by her ex-boyfriend, who she believed was still in custody for assaulting her that year. Since then, 47 states, DC, and Guam now use the VINE system, and approximately 85% of the country’s incarcerated population is covered by VINE.
“For someone who is vulnerable, injured or in danger, a protective order is so much more than just a piece of paper,” said Senator L. Louise Lucas. “It’s a sign that they have asked for help.
“Everyone in the Portsmouth Council Chamber on Thursday understands how important protective orders are to help someone get out of dangerous situations and recover. VINE protection orders will provide crucial updates on when the order has been served and when it is about to expire, providing not only victims but also attorneys, family members, law enforcement and other sympathizers with that information quickly and directly.”
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
