Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN)
Overview:
Victims of crime have a great need for information surrounding their offender's case. Court schedules, release and parole dates, and other information can reduce
the risk of repeat incidents and help prevent further victimization.
With limited resources, law enforcement and court officials face considerable obstacles to maintaining efficiency and reliability in victim notification.
BJA has worked to overcome these obstacles, helping states create or improve automated victim notification systems. To this end, the Statewide Automated Victim
Information and Notification (SAVIN) program was created to assist states in building, implementing, and improving victim notification capacity.
From FY 2005-2008, BJA has awarded over $33 million in SAVIN grants to eligible states. Through this program support, states work to increase victim safety
by developing policies, practices, and technology solutions for the timely and accurate dissemination of information about offenders and their cases.
This information-sharing capability is extended to court, corrections, and law enforcement officials, thereby enhancing national information sharing capacity and
further working to prevent crime.
Eligible states may use grant funds either to develop notification capacity by creating a statewide victim notification system, or in the case of states with
existing notification capacity, to enhance features or availability of the current system.
BJA, in coordination with the Integrated Justice Information Systems (IJIS) Institute, developed minimum program guidelines and standards to help ensure
interoperability between systems across the country. This document, Planning, Implementing
and Operating Effective Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) Programs, was published October 2006. Participating states
adhere to justice information data sharing standards, specifically the U.S. Department of Justice's Global Justice eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Data Model (GJXDM)
and the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), as well as standards for program management, training, reporting, and assessment.
SAVIN helps states obtain effective technology to manage critical information about offenders in near real-time. For states implementing the SAVIN program,
victims have unprecedented access to information. They may:
- Register to be notified via telephone, e-mail, Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD), or written letter each time the status of their offender or case changes.
- Access critical case information through a web site or toll-free number with support from a live operator 24 hours a day.
- Access information about their offender's arrest, initial incarceration, pretrial release, judicial process, final disposition, post-conviction incarceration, and community supervision.
Crime victims live under the threat of further incidents and repeat crime. SAVIN informs victims about the justice processes and affords opportunities to use
this vital information to make important decisions.
Legislation: Pub. L. 110-5, emb. secs. 101-104; Pub. L. No. 109-108, 119 Stat. 2290, 2299; 28 U.S.C. 530C(a)(1).
Funding: Funding for FY 2008 has been set for Category I (Implementation) grants at $2.25 million, and for Category II (Enhancement)
grants, $500,000. A grant made under this program may not cover more than 50 percent of the total costs of the project being funded. Other funding criteria apply;
see Related Information for further details.
Eligibility: Applicants are limited to state government agencies authorized to manage the planning and implementation of a SAVIN program.
Indian tribes also are eligible to receive grant funding for the planning and implementation of a SAVIN program. See Related Information for further details.
How/When to Apply: BJA released the solicitation October 29, 2007, and applications were due January 3, 2008. Dates of future
solicitations have not yet been determined, and will be posted to this web site when released. All applications must be submitted via
Grants.gov.
Related Information:
Developing and Enhancing Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) Program (FY 2008 Competitive Grant Announcement)
Contact Information:
Michael Dever
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-9188
E-mail: Michael.Dever@usdoj.gov
