General Rights for Victims' of Crime:
- You have a right to know what to do if you're threatened. It's a crime for anyone to threaten a witness or to hurt a witness or retaliate against a witness because of testimony.
- You have a right to know just what your role is in the justice system.
- You have a right to be in a safe place when you're waiting for court.
- You may have a right to receive restitution for medical expenses and other losses resulting from a crime.
- You have a right to property that's been taken as evidence when it's no longer needed as evidence.
- You have a right to receive assistance when serving as a witness causes problems on your job.
- You have a right to have your case completed as quickly as possible.
- You have a right to receive timely notice of dates you must be in court. If a case is canceled or postponed, you have a right to be informed as soon as possible.
- Children are entitled to rights in addition to the ones listed above.
Victim Services:
- Upon request from the victim, can notify the victim of probation or parole hearings.
- Provide information concerning the offender's supervision requirements.
- Resource and referrals to community programs and agencies.
- Information about the criminal justice process.
- Notification of termination, discharge, absconding, death, escape and capture of the offenders (upon written request).
- Information regarding the rights of victims.
Utah Department of Corrections Victim Notification
The Utah Department of Corrections Vine Service is a free automated hotline that provides victims with information and notification 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
General Features
- Use of the Utah DOC VINE Service is free of charge.
- After you have registered for notification the Utah DOC Vine Service will call you automatically if an inmate is released, is transferred, escapes or dies.
- All telephone registrations through the Utah DOC Vine Service are anonymous. You will select your own four digit PIN (Personal Identification Number) to access the system.
- You may register more than one telephone number, using the same PIN for each registration.
- If you are not home when the VINE system calls with a notification, the service will leave a message and call back within two hours.
- You may call the Utah DOC Vine Service as often as you like from any touch-tone telephone to check on an inmate's custody status.
- The Utah DOC Vine Service may be accessed from anywhere in the United States using the toll free number.
- Live VINE operators in English and Spanish may be accessed at any time.
- The Utah DOC Vine Program allows crime victims, as well as other members of the community, access to inmate information. Access to this data is available by using any touch-tone telephone. By entering the inmates name or offender number, the caller can find out if the offender is in custody, and if the offender has a release date; If you have difficulty with the name or offender number you may access a live VINE operator or contact the Utah DOC Victim Services Unit for assistance.
Notification for Utah Department of Correction's inmates will be made to registered callers for the following:
- Release from prison
- Escape
- Return to custody from escape
- Death
- Release on furlough, work release, or community program
- Parole release date thirty days prior to release
- Moves to county jails, moves between the Draper and Gunnison prison sites, or community correctional centers (halfway-house)
- To register with the Utah DOC VINE System call toll-free 1-877-884-8463
For more information visit the Utah Department of Corrections web site.
Source: Utah Department of Corrections
