Survivor urges opt‑out notifications as committee weighs statutory fixes to victim‑notification system

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee on April 2 heard unanimous task‑force recommendations to change how victims are informed when defendants are detained or released, and witnesses urged clearer, trauma‑informed notice options.

Jennifer Pullman, executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services and chair of the victim‑notification task force, told the committee the group reached three consensus legislative recommendations. “The victim would know where the defendant is held, if the defendant is released, and how to locate the Department of Corrections Vermont offender locator website, and then how to register for automatic notifications when the defendant is released,” Pullman said, describing a revised victim‑information form that has been translated into 12 languages and is intended as a practical tool for arresting officers.

The change Pullman described would amend the law enforcement notice obligations in 13 V.S.A. §5314 to require inclusion of DOC offender‑locator and Vine enrollment information at the initial contact. Committee members raised concerns that giving that information at arrest could create a false expectation if an offender is not booked into DOC custody, because Vine enrollment requires the offender to be in DOC custody.

Meredith Pelky, director of victim services for the Department of Corrections, said DOC’s systems only permit Vine registration once an offender is booked into DOC custody: “We would know if they were a detainee,” Pelky said, adding that the offender‑locator and Vine links are useful only when the accused is in an incarcerated status. Pelky and other agency staff agreed the form’s language should be clear that Vine automated notifications apply when an offender is housed in DOC facilities.

Amy Far, director of victim services for the Vermont State Police, presented a confidential booking‑form proposal intended to travel with booking paperwork so victim contact information (or a designated contact) is captured at detention. Far said the form is designed to allow a timely, in‑person notification and would be paired with officer training on how to explain Vine and the offender‑locator to victims; she noted the proposal is pending DOC review.

Christa Murray, DOC’s operational systems director, described technical work with the Vine vendor (Afaris/Equifax) to correct how DOC pushes data that trigger notifications. Murray said the department has begun simplifying the vendor feed and building a parallel integration so notifications are more reliable and can scale to additional pretrial populations if the system expands.

The committee also discussed statutory inconsistencies around parole notifications: the task force recommended aligning Title 13 with Title 28 so parole‑related notifications use a uniform opt‑out/opt‑in approach. Pullman said the change is intended to let victims choose notification preferences and to allow DOC to restore a menu of notification options without violating statutory obligations now written in Title 28.

On language access, Pelky told the committee DOC now has access to a live translation service (Proprio) that offers 24/7 translation and American Sign Language; DOC has installed the app on iPads at two facilities where Wi‑Fi permits and is expanding device availability for booking officers and legal counsel.

Survivor Kelsey Rice of Windham County told the committee she supports an opt‑out approach and a menu of notification options. “When a victim of crime, in particular a violent crime, in the immediate aftermath, we are still engaging and still in trauma response,” Rice said. She urged the committee to provide early information and an opt‑out mechanism so victims are not expected to make lengthy decisions while traumatized and so they can change choices later as needs evolve.

Committee members pressed for operational details — who would scan or enter booking forms, how paper forms would be captured and shared, and whether a statewide data‑warehouse approach might reduce manual handoffs. Agency staff acknowledged the implementation challenges and said DOC and law enforcement will continue operational conversations with the committee; Pullman said she will testify to Senate institutions later that day about the statutory recommendation.

The committee recorded follow‑ups: DOC will review the Vermont State Police booking form and report back; legislative counsel will map the statute changes needed between Titles 13 and 28; task‑force participants plan to continue monthly meetings to preserve momentum. No formal committee vote occurred during the session.

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee will reconvene with updates and with representatives from the state’s attorneys’ offices and legislative counsel as follow‑ups are scheduled.