Michigan crime victims will soon have an easier time keeping track of offenders.
The Michigan Victim Information Notification Everyday service, or MI-VINE, is a notification system for victims of crimes. It sends victims texts, emails, or phone calls telling them if an offender is in custody and gives them updates about their case.
The Crime Victim Services Commissionis working to make sure victims only have to register one time, no matter where the offender is sent. Right now, victims have to re-register if an offender is sent from jail to prison, but by integrating the jail system with the Department of Corrections, the commission hopes to take out this extra step.
James McCurtis is the Director of the Commission. He says the changes to MI-VINE will ensure they stay up-to-date on the location of an offender. “The main reason why we want to do this is because we want to make it as convenient as possible for victims,” McCurtis said. “We don’t want them to have to go back and register again and again.”
The National VINE program was created in 1994, after a woman was killed by a former boyfriend. Mary Byron was raped, assaulted, and stalked by a former boyfriend, who was eventually arrested. Byron and her family were assured they would be told if her ex-boyfriend, was released from jail. The former boyfriend posted bail and was released without Byron or her family finding out. He then killed Byron while she sat in her car in the parking lot of her job.
Michigan implemented MI-VINE in 2000 with approximately 3,000 crime victims using the service. So far this year, over 66,000 crime victims have already used MI-VINE. The new method is expected to work by the end of the year.
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—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
