LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Utah residents will soon be able to track offenders in the state's criminal justice system by phone, day or night.  The State of Utah Office of Crime Victim Reparations has chosen Appriss(R) Inc. to implement its patented victim notification system, which provides crime victims and concerned citizens with free, up-to-date offender information 24 hours a day.

Users of VINE(R) (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) call a toll-free number to find out if an offender is in jail, and register by phone to be notified automatically when an offender is released, transferred or escapes.

Appriss currently offers VINE to the Utah Department of Corrections. The expanded service will track offenders in all of Utah's 26 county jail facilities, district courts, and the Utah Division of Adult Probation and Parole.

Utah is the 18th state to implement the VINE statewide.  Texas, New York, Illinois, and Florida are among those with statewide VINE systems.   VINE is the one of the nation's largest and most successful e-government programs.  The Appriss Communications Center(TM) relays information from a jail or prison booking system to registered users when there is a change in an offender's custody status.  In 2002, the Appriss Communications Center handled more than 3 million calls from VINE users.  The system can also provide notification on defendants' case status.

"VINE provides a vulnerable segment of the population with fast, simple access to the information they desperately need to protect themselves," said Appriss President Mike Davis.  "We are thrilled to be expanding our offerings in the state of Utah."

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