established a formal policy of victim
notification and gave victims more input into
procedures involving provincial offenders. The
Branch established the Victim Notification Unit
(VNU) in January 1998, It addressed
notification requirements under the Wcetimes of
Crime Act and Ministry Protection Order
Registry’ Protocol Agreement.

The VNU notified parties protected by orders
registered with the Protection Order Registry.
These orders included Family Relations Act
restraining orders, section 810 peace bonds, and
probation orders for a threatening or assaultive
offence. The VNU initially established
procedures for notification regarding
end-of-sentence releases. Notification
procedures for conditional releases (Le. parole,
EMP and temporary absences) were introduced
in an ADM directive.”

An automated victim notification system was
installed in 1998 at the VNU and became fully
operational in 2000. The VINE system"! was
linked to the CORNET information system and
received data on changes in offender custody
status (e.g. escape, transfer, and release) several
times per day.

VINE kept registered victims informed about
escaped, transferred and released offenders
through an automated telephone call. Probation
officers continued to keep victims informed of

Faces of Corrections:
An Introduction to
BC Corrections

Ministry of Public Safety
and Solicitor General

The video DVD, Faces of Corrections, takes less than eight
minutes to explain Corrections Branch programs and services.

changes in the status of community offenders.
A victim information line was created to
facilitate information to victims.

9 The Security Programs Division of the Public Safety and Regulatory Branch manages the Protection Order
Registry (POR). This registry is a databank that stores all civil and criminal protection orders. The police initially
used this databank to check for the existence of protection orders when attending domestic calls. In 1998,
Branch staff were directed to check the database for the existence of orders applied against sentenced inmates.
They also had to notify parties protected by a protection order prior to the offender’s release from custody.

10 ADM Directive 98:06, issued on June 8, 1998.

11 Interactive Systems of Louisburg, Kentucky developed VINE. The VINE system was developed following an
incident in which an offender on early release shot and killed his victim. ‘This resulted in the development of a
notification system to alert victims if an offender was released from custody. It was implemented in a number of

American jurisdictions and the province of Ontario.

The Era of Directing Change (1997-2001)

241