24-hour toll-free hotline:
1-866-566-8439

Kendall County Sheriff Richard Randall announces that Illinois ' automated victim notification system is fully operational at the Kendall County Jail. The system was interfaced with a statewide VINE ® network giving crime victims access to the custody status of inmates incarcerated in any county, or Illinois Department of Corrections facility.

The VINE ® system is designed to bridge the gap between crime victims and the criminal justice system. The service uses advanced technology to electronically link the state's  booking systems to a national Call Center in Louisville, KY.

How It Works

A person can call the toll-free VINE hotline, 1-866-566-8439, to check on the custody status of an inmate in the jail. The caller can also register to be notified when the inmate is released, transferred, escapes, or dies while in custody. VINE also tracks custody status if an inmate is paroled. The hotline operates 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.

When an inmate has a change in custody status, the VINE Call Center in Louisville , KY immediately begins to call all persons who have registered to that inmate. Notification calls continue every half hour for 24 hours or until the person is successfully notified.

A successful notification occurs when the registered person enters their four-digit PIN number on the telephone. The system will leave a message on an answering machine, but calls will continue until the PIN is entered.

To use VINE, simply call the toll-free hotline and follow the automated prompts. Before calling, please prepare the following information:

• The inmate's full name or jail docket number
• If you want to register for notification - the phone number where you'd like to be notified
• If you want to register for notification - a four-digit PIN number

History

The National VINE Call Center was created first for the Jefferson County , KY, Corrections Department in response to the murder of a young woman at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. 21 year-old Mary Byron was gunned down by Donovan Harris after he was released from jail without her knowledge. Harris had been arrested two weeks earlier for kidnapping Byron and raping her at gunpoint.

For More Information

If you'd like more information, contact the Kendall County Sheriff's Office at (630) 553-7500 ext. 1103. Brochures are available at the Sheriff's Office and your local police department.