Sheriff’s office gives residents easy access to Roane offender information

Roane County residents now have fast access to custody information on county jail offenders, thanks to the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association and annual funding from the state of Tennessee throughout 78 counties.

Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton has joined and launched TNSAVIN, an automated service utilizing the Victim Information Notification Everyday system in which citizens can access a 24-hour-a-day notification system either by telephone or the Internet.

“Protecting the citizens of Roane County is always one of our highest priorities,” Stockton said. “TNSAVIN provides an added level of protection because it gives everyone access to timely and accurate information of offenders in our county, and all of the participating county facilities throughout the state.”

Stockton said his staff has worked hard toward implementing and promoting this service to the public and especially to assist the victims of any crime.

“It also allows more timely access to any person who wants to know if a perpetrator is behind bars for their general safety,” the sheriff said. “Also, many of our area criminal justice personnel utilize the notification service to track offenders.”

Information is available via 1-888-868-4631. People calling the toll-free number are asked to provide an offender’s name and/or booking number which they can obtain from the local county jail or correctional facility.

After the system has provided the relevant custody information, it asks the caller if he would like to register to be automatically notified when the offender is released or transferred and what manner of notification is preferred.

Those choosing to register then provide a phone number and a four-digit personal identification number, which they will later use to confirm the notification calls or to cancel any future calls if needed.

Live operator assistance is available around the clock for callers who have questions or require additional help.

General information is in both Spanish and English and interpreters are available in many languages.

Residents can also go online at www.vinelink.com to locate an offender and/or register via the Internet.

Log onto the website, click on the state of Tennessee on the VINE map and follow the instructions.

“It’s very user friendly, and people should not hesitate to utilize it,” Stockton said. “What makes it special is the automatic notification feature — as long as you’ve got a telephone or a computer, you can receive an automated alert anytime of the day or night.”

The sheriff added, “That kind of protection is critically important to anyone who is concerned about the whereabouts of any offender. Just remember your initial PIN number, and you can stop the calls whenever you’d like.”

The goal of the SAVIN program is to increase public safety and improve basic criminal justice decisions by ensuring that victims are given accurate information that enhances their ability to protect themselves, their families and their workplace.

As of this date, TNSAVIN has 94 of Tennessee’s 95 counties enrolled in the program.

VINE is a nationwide delivery service operating in 46 states.

For further general information on the TNSAVIN Program, call the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association at 615-547-0112.

This information may also be accessed by visiting the Roane County Sheriff’s Office website at www.roanesheriff.org.