Help Domestic Violence Victims Call Your Legislators

We just got an action alert from the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence. The alert urges us to conntact our legislators now in support of the Tennessee Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification System. (SAVIN)

This important system makes sure that victims get notification of the custody status of offenders. Right now not all counties are online. Some, like Knox County, are scheduled to go online but are not there yet.

I remember a spring day a few years ago. A teenage victim of domestic violence had found the courage to see her abuser put behind bars. This was something her mother would never do. We were chatting about the day when her cell phone rang. She answered the phone without looking at the caller ID. Then, she gasped. It was him.

Her abuser was out of jail earlier than she had expected. He was mad and looking for her. He wanted to talk with her so she could explain to the judge that it was all her misunderstanding. Her face was still swollen from the beating. She felt the need to get off the road and into safety.

A notification system might have given her warning and provided more time to act.

Information on how to contact your legislator is at the bottom of the page.

Bill SummariesSB 1684 Ketron / HB 1430 Sontany - Creates the TN Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification System (SAVIN) providing access to timely and reliable information about the custody status of offenders in county jails twenty-four hours a day over the telephone, through the internet, or by e-mail. Victims of crime and other concerned citizens can register to be notified immediately in the event of an offender's release, transfer, or escape. Currently, 56 Tennessee counties participate in SAVIN and another 19 counties will come on line by the end of the year bringing the total number of counties on the statewide system to 75.

Implementation of this project was made possible by federal grants and the state must pick up the cost to continuing operating the system when the grant funds end. The bill imposes a privilege tax on litigation of $1 on all criminal cases to support this on-going expense. The bill also authorizes the Department of Finance and Administration to make an annual grant to the Tennessee Sheriff's Association to manage and administer the program. To learn more about SAVIN visit www.appriss.com/tnvine/ . This site includes a map where you can see which counties are currently on-line and those that are scheduled to come on to the system.

How to Contact Your Legislators

To get the contact information for your legislators go to http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/. When calling your members, be sure to tell them that you are from their district. If you email, put the ZIPCODE in the subject line to make sure your email gets read. Please forward this alert to your board, staff, friends and other local nonprofits

Bill Status: Scheduled to be heard in Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee and House Judiciary Committee on May 6. Call or email your State Senators and Representatives now, especially if they are members of either of these committees.