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Crime Victims’ Rights

Victim Notification System

The right to notification is supported in most states by Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) and the U.S. Department of Justice through the Victim Notification System (VNS).

VNS is a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Attorneys' offices, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Launched in 2001 as a pilot program with funding support from OVC, it became fully operational in 2002 under the development and oversight of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. This free, computer-based system provides important information to victims of federal crimes. In many cases crime victims will receive letters generated through VNS containing information about the events pertaining to the criminal case and/or any defendants in the case. This information is also available in English and Spanish on the Internet and through a toll-free telephone number (1-866-365-4968).

VINELink is the online version of VINE, a service through which victims of crime can use the telephone or Internet to search for information regarding their offender’s custody status and register to receive telephone and e-mail notification when their offender’s custody status changes. VINELink allows crime victims to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day.