October 25, 2007
Secretary Raemisch Announces $1.2 Million Grant Awarded
to DOC for Statewide Victim Notification System
DOC receives U.S. DOJ grant to expand victim notification in Wisconsin,
increase victim safety
MADISON – Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Rick Raemisch today
announced the agency has received a $1.2 million U.S. Department of
Justice grant to create a statewide, automated, “one-stop” system for
victims to receive timely information about the location and status of
criminal defendants and convicted offenders in county jails and other
facilities.
“Every crime victim should have a simple way to access data about
offenders during all stages of the criminal justice process, and this
project will ensure that victims and survivors of crime in Wisconsin will
be able to receive this information any time they want it, in the safety
and privacy of their homes,” Secretary Raemisch said. “Through this grant,
we will be able to bring enrollment notification practices of county and
state entities under one automated system, resulting in less paperwork,
greater choice and improved safety for victims throughout the state.”
The two-year grant is being awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s
Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The funds will
go toward the creation of the Statewide Automated Victim Information and
Notification (SAVIN) system.
Under current state law, many entities manage their own systems for
victim notification, including District Attorney’s Offices, County Jails,
DOC, Clerks of Circuit Court, County Departments of Social Service, and
County Juvenile Detention Centers. As a result, victims must enroll and
keep their contact information updated with each entity separately as an
offender moves through each stage of the criminal justice process, from
arrest through final court dispositions and post-sentencing. This can be
overwhelming for crime victims who are dealing with the traumatic
aftermath of crime, and can result in information gaps, inefficiencies and
reduced confidence in the system.
The goal of the SAVIN System is to connect jails and juvenile detention
centers in all 72 counties to this system, and also to include the
Department of Corrections and the Department of Health and Family
Services. Through the SAVIN system, victims and victim family members will
be able to enroll for notification services by phone or electronically and
have a single access point for the most current offender status
information. A key aspect of SAVIN will be the automation of County Jail
notification to allow victims to access custody status changes including
admission, release, escape, and work release.
The system will complement current DOC notification practices including
an online resource for enrolled victims to receive information and status
changes concerning offenders in prison or on community supervision. In
addition, it is important to note that this system will augment, not
replace, the crucial network of personal victim advocacy services
currently provided by victim/witness coordinators and others across the
state.
Secretary Raemisch thanked entities that supported the DOC’s grant
application for the SAVIN program, including the Badger State Sheriff’s
Association, Parents of Murdered Children, The Wisconsin Office of Justice
Assistance, and the Department of Health and Family Services.
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10/25/2007
