Inmate Release Notification System
powered by
Gives victims and their families the ability to anonymously track when an offender is incarcerated in a correctional facility and when they are released.
Inmate Release Notifications
About the System
With just one toll-free phone call or online search, a person can obtain timely and accurate information about the custody status of any inmate housed in New York’s county jails or other county correctional facilities.
By registering with the Inmate Release Notification System, a person is automatically notified of any change in the status of an abuser, including transfer, escape, or release, so that they can take steps to protect themselves.
The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute Inmate Release Notification System is powered by VINE, which is America’s number one victim notification network. VINE technology is supported in 48 states nationwide and provides offender custody status information to over 20 million U.S. civilians annually.
The system provides notification information by phone, email, text message, and TTY (hearing impaired). It is free to sign up and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that individuals can have access to reliable information and a sense of security they deserve.
Notifications
How to Access
Online
VINELink.com is the online portal for the Inmate Release Notification System. It can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide the most reliable information for custody status changes. Go to www.vinelink.com, click on New York State and search for the offender by name or offender ID.
Mobile Devices
VINELink™ Mobile App is the on-the-go version of the Inmate Release Notification System. It lets you access vital information right from your mobile device. The VINELink Mobile App is available for iOS and Android devices and is completely free for users.
Toll-free Number
Call toll free from a touch-tone phone to find out if an offender is still in custody or back on the street. Phone support is available for callers who need help locating an offender, registering for notifications, or accessing victim services in their area. Over 200 languages are available via live operator support.
Call 1-866-277-7477
“My offender has been arrested in different jurisdictions. It was really hard to keep up until I found out about VINE and I did a search on your website. It’s such a relief to know where he is. My case has been going around the court system for 18 months. It can give you a feeling of hopelessness and that no one cares. Your system changes that for me.”
Lori
Stalking and domestic victim
“I feel safe because I was alerted to changes involving my offender. Had it not been for VINE, the results could have been terrible.”
Belinda Harris-Ritter
Offender murdered her parents
“I wish I could articulate to you how afraid I was of John. I know that should he get out of prison, he will find me and kill me. I have no doubt in my mind. However, I feel I can put my safety in the hands of VINE and you won’t let me down. Thank you for the secure feeling I’ve not had for six years. And that feeling is priceless.”
Mildred Muhammad
Former wife of “DC Sniper” John Muhammad
“VINE is the greatest innovation we have to fight domestic violence crime created in the last three decades. It saves lives.”
Marcia Roth
Executive Director, Mary Byron Project
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VINE technology that powers the New York State Sheriffs' Institute Inmate Release Notification System?
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a service through which victims of crime can use the telephone or Internet to search for information regarding their offender's custody status from participating agencies and register to receive telephone and e-mail notification when an agency indicates their offender's custody status has change.
How do I register for the New York State Inmate Release Notification System?
VINELink
VINELink.com is the online portal for the Inmate Release Notification System. It can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide the most reliable information for custody status changes in New York. Go to www.vinelink.com, click on New York State and search for the offender by name or offender ID.
The VINELink Mobile App
The VINELink™ Mobile App is the on-the-go version of the Inmate Release Notification System that lets you access vital information from agencies right from your mobile device. The VINELink Mobile App is available for iOS and Android devices and is completely free for users.
Toll-Free Number: 1-888-VINE-4-NY (1-888-846-3469)
Call 1-888-VINE-4-NY (1-888-846-3469) toll free to investigate whether an offender is still in custody or back on the street. Toll-free phone support is available 24/7/365 for callers who need help locating an offender, registering for notifications, or accessing victim services in their area. Over 200 languages are available via live operator support.
Why do the Sheriffs support crime victim services like VINE?
New York State Sheriffs are committed to helping and serving crime victims by providing resources, information and protection that limits any further victimization or trauma. The Sheriffs have been supporting the VINE system for nearly 20 years. Public safety is our primary purpose, and our goal is to have crime victims feel as whole as possible. For more on our commitment to crime victims, visitAbout Us.
Where is the VINE system available and can I keep track of an inmate out of New York State?
The VINE system is available in 47 states and made possible in New York by the New York State Sheriffs' Institute. If the inmate for whom you're searching is in custody at a corrections facility that participates in VINE, you should be able to locate custody information on VINELink www.vinelink.com.
Why can't I find a particular offender?
VINELink provides information regarding offenders who are currently in custody or who may have been recently released from custody from participating counties. If you do not find the person for whom you search, please call the facility where you believe the offender to be housed and inquire about the status of their custody.
What does "non-participating county" mean?
VINE is available in 47 states through various types of agreements. Even in states with VINE programs, it is possible not every jurisdiction within the state participates. For example, some counties may not have jail facilities and therefore do not report any information. In other states, individual counties support their own contract for VINE. If you do not see your county listed, then it is currently a non-participating county. Please contact your local jail for offender information.
How do I locate information about a Federal inmate?
VINE does not receive information regarding federal inmates. However, the Bureau of Prison website, www.bop.gov, has an "Locator" that provides information on any Federal Inmate. Please note the Bureau of Prison website is not operated by or associated with VINE.
How frequently do you receive offender information?
Our standard transaction time is every 15 minutes for jails and twice each day for prisons. This may vary depending upon the jail activity and the resources the facility has on site to update the data. Most always, the data is current within 15 minutes. However, if you have reason to believe the data is out of date, you should call the jail directly for an update and invoke your personal safety plan. Do not depend solely on VINE or any other program for your safety.
Can I find historical data on an offender?
The VINE system tracks an offender's in-custody status and date of release only. Historical data is not available. Offenders are deleted from our database and will not be found within the VINE system approximately two weeks following their release from custody.
How do I stop receiving unwanted notification calls?
Please contact the Customer First Center at 1-888-846-3469 for assistance.
How do I search for an offender and register to receive notification using VINELink?
Please note that you may register to receive notification for custody status changes only for offenders currently in custody.
- Access VINELink via the web at https://vinelink.com
- Select your State to get started
- To search for an offender, choose Search For Someone
- The search criteria will default to “I’m searching for an offender.” To continue your search, enter the Offender’s Name or ID number.
- Enter the full first and last name. If the exact name is unknown or does not return results, select “Partial Name” and enter at leaser the first 2 characters of the last name to include more potential matches.
- For those users who have not created or signed into a VINELink account, solve the captcha,
click Search to continue. - Select the offender from the search results. Click on Record Details to view custody details.
To register to get notified of offender custody status about changes in an offender' custody status in VINELink, please follow these steps:
- Complete steps 1 through 7 above.
- Choose the offender from the search result(s). Click Get Notified to register to receive VINE custody status notifications on the offender.
- Click Add to select your Notification Methods.
- Under Notification Methods, select how you wish to be notified of any changes in this record.
VINE notifications can be delivered by email, text message (SMS), phone call, or teletypewriter (TTY). - Once you have entered the notifications methods, select Next: PIN.
- Enter a 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). Choose a PIN that you will remember. You may be asked to enter your PIN to confirm you received a notification or to modify notifications in the future.
- Click Complete Registration to complete the registration process.
If you're having trouble accessing VINELink, you may need to clear your browser cookies and temporary Internet files.
To delete browser history or utilize private browsing, follow the instructions for Chrome.
On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More
- ClickHistoryHistory.
- On the left, clickClear browsing data. A box will appear.
- From the drop-down menu, select how much history you want to delete.
To clear everything, selectAll time. - Check the boxes for the info you want Chrome to clear, including “browsing history."
- ClickClear data.
If this does not resolve your issue, please contact the Customer First Center, 888-846-3469 directly for further assistance.
Can VINElink.com remove or change offender information on your website?
VINE is funded and provided by local and state agencies for the purpose of notifying victims upon a change in their offender’s custody status. We provide this service as a third party and do not have the ability to remove or alter offender data provided by participating agencies. However, we work closely with the agencies to ensure data integrity and reliability. If you have found incorrect data on the VINELink site, please call your local Department of Correction or jail facility to report the inaccuracy to them directly so that they might make the change in their database as appropriate.
What are the telephone "ID number" and "Email address" from which I can expect notification from the Inmate Release Notification System?
When you receive a notification from this system (powered by VINE), you will see the following telephone number on your caller ID: 888-846-3469. If you register for email notification, you will receive a message from the following email: [emailprotected].
Does VINELink support other languages?
Yes, VINELink.com supports up to 16 different languages. To change the language for the National and State VINELink webpage, navigate to the upper right section of the page. Click on the English tab to change the preferred language.
