Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Facebook and Youtube

Find Arkansas VINE on Facebook and on Youtube.

You will find out public service announcement on both sites. Also, last year we did an 30 minute Infomercial about Arkansas VINE that aired on KARK and KARZ. This Infomercial has been added to the the Youtube site.

www.youtube.com/user/1998

Monday, February 4, 2008

Your Computer can be used in Domestic Abuse

Hey this is article that I found today on a internet secutity web site "The Register" that I visit like to get the lastest news. I think you will find it interesting. Also please advise the victims that you deal with to watch their activity on the net.


Spyware another weapon for domestic abuse
Remote controlling spouses
By John LeydenMore by this author
Published Thursday 31st January 2008 14:37 GMT

Spyware is becoming a tool of domestic abuse, according to security researchers.
Privacy-invading software packages are most commonly associated with surreptitiously snooping on victims to find out the passwords they use for online banking sites or bombarding them with invasive pop-up ads. But spyware can also be used as a tool to monitor and control their spouses by abusive partners, McAfee researcher Anna Stepanov warns.
"With so much of our lives dependent on computers and other technologies such as cell phones, the use of spyware is ideal for abusers, who often feel the need to control all aspects of a victim’s existence," she writes. "Monitoring a victim’s online, cell phone, or general computing activity is of more value than ever in controlling or hurting a victim."
Safe computing has joined finding safe housing as a list of requirements for people fleeing abusive relationships. "There is a strong movement within the [US-based] National Network to End Domestic Violence to educate victims and the general public about safe computing," Stepanov adds. "Many security companies have made sizable monetary donations to this organization to assist in education and to provide aid for securing networks within shelters for victims of domestic violence."
The changing uses of spyware and its continuing evolution are dealt with in a white paper by Stepanov titled Spyware: A Morphing Campaign.
Commercial products such as FlexiSPY, which records information about an individual's mobile phone calls and SMS messages before sending them to a remote server, have already generated controversy over the last couple of years. Packages such as FlexiSPY and Mobile Spy, another similar product, are marketed as a means for parents to keep watch on their child's phone, or enables employers to enforce an acceptable use policy on their staff. The legality of both products has been questioned.
A mobile phone is an obvious target for snoopers, but email inboxes are also a tempting target for control-freaks looking to keep tabs on their partners. Stepanov's research shows that cybercrime in its traditional sense is not the only motive for planting spyware. ®

Friday, February 1, 2008

Helpful Websites

There are numberous websites that have information for Victim's and Victim Coordinator's. There is one that has a lot of information the National Crime Victims' Rights Week which is on April 13–19, 2008. This site is http://www.ovc.gov/ncvrw/welcome.html#resources. It has link to the 2008 NCVRW Resource Guide http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2008/welcome.html.

Also there has been an addition the VINELink webage. A registered Victim can now update and delete there registration online. After selecting Arkansas from the VINELink, look at the left side of the screen and click on Registered Users click here to update registrations. We hope this will help keep a victims registration current.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Fall Victim Assistance Conference

Stacy and I were invited to the Fall Victim Assistance Conference – November 1, 2007, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We would like to thank Bob McMahan and Laurie Miller for the invitation. It was an interesting afternoon. We were introduced to a lot of people but unfortunately, did not have much time to visit with everyone.

We want to thank everyone who filled out a contact form. The information that was provided should help us stay in contact with everyone and provide the needed VINE training. We look forward to working with the Victim/Witness Coordinators through out the state.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Easy Victim Registration for Notification



Both Stacy and I have been busy in hopes of making it easier for Victims to register for notification of the offenders movements, release, etc. Arkansas has a web based portal called VINELink (http://www.vinelink.com/) which allows victims to easily search for the offender and then easily register for notification. Last month we worked with Arkansas Department of Correction in establishing a link directly to VINELink website. After the offender is found and their current information is displayed a link for notification can be found above the picture of the offender. When a victim clicks on that link, the website changes to VINELink with the necessary information populated for registration. All the victim will need to do is to choose how they would like to receive notification, email or phone. This link has made an easy process even easier.

Since the Arkansas Department of Corrections was able to successfully add the link to their current information page, Stacy contacted Washington County Sheriff's Office to add a link to their Detainee Roster. It was successfully completed and added to the site earlier this month. This addition even made the new paper in the web edition of the Northwest Arkansas Times.

It is our hope that with the addition of these links to VINELink that victims will be informed and feel safer as they go through their day.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

20th Anniversary of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is an ideal time for our community to join together to address the devastating impact of domestic violence on individuals, families, neighborhoods, and our nation as a whole, and promote domestic violence prevention and greater public awareness about the rights and services available to victims.

One way to help stop the cycle of domestic violence is by keeping victims informed throughout the criminal justice process. Since 1998, Arkansas has provided a service to victims called VINE®, or Victim Information and Notification Everyday. VINE allows crime victims and other concerned citizens to call a toll-free number (1-800-510-0415) or log onto http://www.vinelink.com/ to access real-time custody status information about their offender. Victims can also register to receive immediate notification when an offender has a change in status, such as a release or transfer. All VINE services are free and confidential.

VINE receives updated custody information every 15 minutes, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, which means registered crime victims can count on being notified of an offender's release or change in custody status within 15 minutes of the time VINE receives the update. This vital information can help victims make important decisions and take measures to protect their safety and, in some cases, can make the difference between life and death.

There are countless victims of domestic violence who need to know that services are available to support them, and that they have rights under the law. VINE is a vital service that fulfills domestic violence victims' rights to information and notification, and that can empower them by keeping them informed and involved. If someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, encourage him or her to register with VINE by calling 1-800-510-0415, logging onto http://www.vinelink.com/ or contacting me, Stacy Nolan at 1-501-682-2222 or at snolan@acic.state.ar.us .

VINE "Victim Information & Notification Everyday"

In 1998, Arkansas was the first state in the nation to implement a statewide automated information and notification system that includes data from all county jails, some prosecuting attorneys, the Arkansas Department of Community Correction, and the Arkansas Department of Correction. The program is called Victim Information and Notification Everyday, or VINE. The Arkansas VINE system has since become a vital service to victims and victim coordinators throughout the state.

The Arkansas VINE program is a free automated program which allows Victims to check the location and status of offenders. A victim that is registered with VINE will receive notification if the assailant is released, escapes, any court events, parole hearing or is transferred. This system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The Arkansas VINE Program empowers the victim to gain control over their lives, and to implement a safety plan should the need arise.

Arkansas Crime Information Center has hired Stacy and myself, Rick, to manage the VINE system. It is our hope that through this BLOG, we may be able to inform more victims about this free vital resource. Please feel free to contact us with your questions about Arkansas Vine.