Texas VINE is a free and anonymous telephone service that provides victims of crime information and notification regarding offenders in the county jail. Texas VINE is a statewide service that is sponsored by the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Governor, and local county officials. 

Texas VINE monitors the custody status of offenders in county jails. The system obtains the information through an interface with detention facilities throughout Texas and stores the information in the National Communications Center in Louisville, KY.  The transfer of data occurs every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. The telephone number is 1-877-894-8463.

Information is available in English or Spanish 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A live operator is also available 24 hours a day to assist callers. 

Take safety precautions – A victim should not depend on the Texas VINE system or any other notification program if they feel like their safety may be threatened by the release of an inmate.  

When was VINE developed?
The first VINE program was created in 1993, after the tragic death of Mary Byron in Louisville, KY.  An ex-boyfriend murdered Mary shortly after he was released from jail without her knowledge. A notification call from police that was promised but not delivered, set the stage for the development of the nation’s first totally automated service for keeping crime victims informed of the custody status of an inmate.  After a year of development, VINE was unveiled in Jefferson County (Louisville), KY, on December 31,1994.

Register with VINE
Anyone may call Texas VINE to determine the custody status of an offender.

There are two ways you can register to be notified by Texas VINE:

• Call 1-877-894-8463
• Visit the VINELink website at www.vinelink.com

The inmate must be booked into the county jail before a victim can register for this service.  A touch-tone telephone must be used to register for notification. After dialing the VINE number, follow the instructions given by the system. VINE will ask for a telephone number and a 4-digit personal identification number (PIN) to be used for notification calls. The PIN is used to verify a successful notification.

To search for information, callers will need to provide the system with one or more of the following:

• Offender Name
• Offender CID number
• Date of Birth

Information provided when calling VINE service:

• Name of Offender/Alias
• CID Number
• Date of Birth
• Current Custody Status
• Location of Offender

Notification
Notification calls begin as soon as the VINE Call Center receives updated records from the on-site computer.  Notification calls to registered persons will be made when one or more of the following occur:

• General Release
• Out of Custody
• Escape
• Transfer to Another Facility

Calls will be made every 2 hours for 24 hours until the correct PIN is entered. Notifications messages will be left on an answering machine, but calls will continue for 24 hours until the correct PIN is entered.

Telephone numbers are removed from the VINE database 14 days after release or transfer of the offender from the county facility. 

Additional Contact Information

Resources
All Emergencies	911
Sheriff's Office	817-884-3099
Sheriff's Office Victim Assistant Coordinator	817-884-3697
District Attorney Protective Order Unit	817-884-1623
Information and Referral	211
Hotlines (24 hours)
Women's Haven Hotline	817-535-6464
The Women's Shelter Hotline	817-460-5566
The Women's Center and Rape Crisis Hotline	817-927-2737
Child/Adult Protective Services	817-252-5400
Texas Youth Hotline	800-210-2278
Runaway Hotline	888-580-HELP /888=580-4357
Suicide and Crisis Center	800-692-4039
Tarrant County MHMR Hotline	817-335-3022
National Domestic Violence Hotline	800-799-SAFE / 800-799-7233
Non-Emergency Telephone Numbers
Women's Haven Counseling Center	817-536-5496
The Women's Shelter Counseling Center	817-282-2447
The Women's Shelter Resource Center	817-548-0583
Women's Center Help Line	817-927-4039
Disabled Crime Victim Assistance	817-338-0220
MADD	817-810-9300
Texas Crime Victims' Clearinghouse	800-252-3423
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Victims' Services	800-84-VICTIM / 800-848-4384
Alcoholics Anonymous	817-332-3533
Area Agency on Aging	817-258-8081
Catholic Charities	817-282-6646
Crime Victims’ Compensation	800-983-9933
Legal Information
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas	817-336-3943
Family Violence Legal Line	800-374-HOPE / 800-374-4673
General Legal Line	800-777-3247
Lawyer Referral Service	817-336-4101

Information on Protective Orders

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