Ore. victim notice system falsely reports felons’ release
Oregon’s VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system experienced a “major technical glitch” Friday evening, sending out thousands of false notifications of felons’ release — even convicted murderers, officials said.
“Routine system maintenance appears to have triggered numerous notifications to victims in error,” a statement said.
“Approximately 8,000 erroneous notifications indicating inmates were releasing, when In fact, they are not,” state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Elizabeth Craig told NewsChannel 21 of the statewide snafu.
The contractor for the VINE service, Appriss, was working on the repair, officials said, and planned to issue an “alert express” Friday evening, which will alert everyone who received an erroneous notification.
KGW reported that it received a notification Friday evening that Ward Weaver, one of the state’s most infamous killers, had been released from custody Friday.
“If you have any concerns about your immediate safety, contact your local law enforcement agency, or if you have an emergency, call 911,” the alert said.
A Department of Corrections official confirmed Weaver was still at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Eastern Oregon.
In addition to the alert express, victims and members of the public can check on the current status of inmates in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) by using the Oregon Offender Search at http://docpub.state.or.us/OOS/intro.jsf
“DOC and Appriss apologize for the erroneous notifications, and are committed to remedying the issue as soon as possible,” the statement said.
An Appriss spokeswoman did not immediately return an Associated Press call and email for additional information.
Oregon launched the statewide VINE service in 2001, becoming the 11th state to adopt the program.
Oregon VINE, available in both English and Spanish, monitors offenders being held in county jails, Oregon Department of Corrections facilities, Oregon Youth Authority facilities, and individuals who are currently on community supervision.
The program has sent more than 10 million notifications since its implementation.
