HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 513        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1253

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to establish an automated victim notification system..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 3 of Chapter 258B of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following at the end thereof:

 SECTION 4. The Parole Board shall establish a statewide automated victim information and notification (SAVIN) system that will do the following:

 (1)     Automatically notify a registered victim via their choice of telephone, letter, or email when any of the following events affect an offender housed in the Department of Corrections or any county jail in the state:

a.        is transferred or assigned to another facility;

b.       is transferred to the custody of another agency outside the state;

c.        is given a different security classification;

d.       is released on temporary leave or otherwise;

e.        is discharged;

f.         has escaped; or

g.       has been served with a protective order that was requested by the victim

 (2)     Automatically notify a registered victim via their choice of telephone, letter, or email, when an offender has:

a.        an upcoming court event where the victim is entitled to be present;

b.       an upcoming parole or pardon hearing;

c.        a change in status of their parole or probation status including:

                                                               i.      a change in their supervision status;

                                                              ii.      a change in their address

 (3)     Automatically notify a registered victim via their choice of telephone, letter, or email, when a sex offender has:

a.        updated their profile information (address, status, etc.) with the state sex offender registry;

b.       become non-compliant with the state sex offender registry

 (4)     Permit a crime victim to receive the most recent status report for an offender in the Department of Corrections, county jail, or sex offender registry by calling the SAVIN system on a toll free telephone number as well as by accessing the SAVIN system via a public website.

(5)     All victims calling the SAVIN program will be given the option to have live operator assistance to use the program on a 24 hour, 365 day per year basis.

 (6)     Permit a crime victim to register or update the victim’s registration information for the SAVIN system by calling a toll free telephone number or accessing a public website.