IVIS, A System for Victim Notification

IVIS A comprehensive web- and phone-enabled system, the Internet Victim Information System (IVIS) keeps victims and witnesses of crime informed by automatically notifying on all case events, including updates on associated perpetrators, inmates, and criminal record actions. IVIS provides continuous 24/7 information services and helps victim advocates manage case information.

IVIS uses a robust database to notify victims and witnesses of crime when criminal justice agencies register actions on cases. Justice agents, with access to inmate database links, help provide fast information to victims of changes with an associated criminal record. IVIS automatically makes phone calls, sends email, and prints letters to keep victims updated on all case events.

IVIS has been working for South Carolina through federal and state sponsorship since 1997. New awards allow ASG to continue to enhance and support the system.

Purpose

The incentive for the IVIS project was the enactment of the South Carolina Victim's Bill of Rights, a constitutional amendment that requires notification of all significant pre- and post-adjudication events. Although this amendment promised better public safety, justice agents needed an efficient and affordable system to guarantee victim notification.

IVIS was created to meet these demands. Developed primarily with Department of Justice funds, it can notify on more than thirty case events, including warrants, arrests, court and bond hearings, prisoner incarcerations, transfers, furloughs, releases, escapes, appeals, probation hearings, paroles, and pardons. The system maintains records to track victim and witness contacts, guaranteeing full compliance with legal statutes.

How IVIS Works

A victim advocate is the trained justice agent who assists a victim or witness by recording crucial notification information in IVIS. Before registering victims, the advocate must register to use IVIS and select a password for access. The advocate gains system privileges based on his or her job and role.

A registered victim advocate uses a personal computer with a web browser and Internet connection to register a victim or witness of crime in IVIS. The advocate usually works with the victim or witness to record contact information and other valuable data in a Victim Information Document.

The advocate enters brief information such as address, telephone number(s), and a personal identification number (PIN) supplied by the victim or issued by the agency. IVIS has links to inmate databases to help locate and attach a victim's case to offender records stored by other criminal justice agencies.

IVIS tracks all activity on a victim's case and automatically generates phone calls, letters, and/or email notification to the victim or witness, indicating the offender's activity, time of occurrence, and the name and phone number of the agency to contact for further information. The system can call many different phone numbers, including cell phones and work numbers, and can call each number several times.

When IVIS calls, it respects the privacy of victims and witnesses by withholding specific information until the victim confirms his or her identity by keying the correct PIN. The system automatically detects answering machines and leaves general messages to be returned.

Victims and witnesses can access information, acknowledge notifications, or change their PINs via the IVIS web site, any time day or night. They also can check the status of their cases at any time by using a toll-free number to call IVIS.

Criminal justice agency representatives can use the IVIS web site to add and modify case information, monitor notification attempts, and notify the IVIS computer of activity that may require victim notification. The system can give notification personnel a series of reports indicating the status of all successful, unsuccessful, and pending notification attempts.

IVIS shares crucial victim service information across agencies, reducing the amount of data input by notification personnel and giving victim advocates complete pictures of victims' relationships within the entire criminal justice system. Advocates can work across agencies to avoid duplication of effort and provide the best possible services to victims. All victim and agency information is protected because IVIS is constructed to be an extremely secure system.

History and Funding

IVIS has been developed using Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice and administered by the S.C. Department of Public Safety. Federal support has been matched by state sponsors, including by the S.C. State Office of Victim Assistance, the S.C. Victim Assistance Network, and the S.C. Supreme Court.

Development of IVIS began in April 1997 and the primary system became operational in April 1998. From April through September 1998, an outreach program began training South Carolina victim advocates to use IVIS while ASG tested and enhanced the system. In October 1998 the first counties came online with IVIS and the first victims were notified.

In 1999-2000, ASG continued to train victim advocates to use the system and to interface IVIS with other criminal justice databases that record jail and prison releases and other critical criminal justice information, such as the South Carolina Integrated Criminal Records Information System (SCI-CRIS).

In 2001-2002, ASG added case management features to help victim advocates more easily manage cases and produce reports to meet federal and state requirements. Professional multimedia materials have also been developed for enhanced outreach and training.

ASG continues to enhance and support the system via federal and state grants. This funding allows criminal justice agencies, victim advocates, and victims to access IVIS at zero cost across South Carolina. Thus, for the very low cost of grant support, IVIS provides a great service to improve information access for victim safety in South Carolina.

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