Evaluation of the Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Program. Final Report.

摘要

Automated victim notification (AVN) is often touted as an effective and efficient means for providing victims timely and accurate information of their offenders court events and status changes at reduced burden to the criminal justice system. AVN systems, first introduced in 1994, operate by receiving electronic data (e.g., case number, offender demographics) from participating branches of the criminal justice system, coding the data to determine what type of notification is most appropriate based on the offenders status change (e.g., release, transfer), and then transmitting the data to registered users using standardized language. AVN systems also allow users to proactively check offender status through a secured website or by calling into a toll-free hotline where additional information and referrals may be available. oversight to 40 states and Puerto Rico, totaling more than $50 million. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice funded ICF International to study the implementation and operation of AVN systems in supporting victims of crime. This report documents the methodology and findings from this evaluation and examines the implications for policy and practice.