For Immediate Release: November 9, 2023

HCSO and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Family Justice Center Host TN VINE & SAVIN Training for Area Law Enforcement

Hamilton County, TN – On November 9, 2023, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Family Justice Center hosted a TN VINE & SAVIN Training for area law enforcement and our community partners. The training was held at the Family Justice Center located at 5705 Uptain Road and was conducted by Gary Cordell, the SAVIN Program Coordinator for the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association.

The purpose of this training was to inform local law enforcement about the importance of Tennessee’s Statewide Automated Victim Information Notification System, called TN SAVIN. TN SAVIN is an automated alert program used to increase the safety of victims of crime, law enforcement, criminal justice personnel, and the general public by providing access to timely information concerning the custody status of offenders in county jails.

“As Sheriff and as a member of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, I cannot express how important these two state-wide alert notification systems are in protecting those that have been the victim of crime. Having up-to-date alerts advising of any changes to court cases or letting victims know an offender has been released is incredibly important, especially in domestic abuse cases where retaliation is possible. My office is focused on supporting and advocating for victims of crime,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.

TN SAVIN allows victims and other concerned citizens to register anonymously by telephone (1-888-868-4631) or register online to be notified in the event of an offender’s release, transfer, or escape. This is particularly important in cases related to domestic abuse. The Tennessee Sheriff’s Association and SAVIN Governing Council, which is comprised of sheriffs representing all regions of the state, have been working hard toward implementing and promoting this service to the public.

Tennessee VINE Courts is a service that allows victims of crime and other concerned citizens to access timely and reliable court case information. VINE Courts is offered free of charge to registrants, is completely confidential, and features multiple language support. This valuable service allows victims of crime to receive alerts when a court case status has changed 24 hours a day. This allows victims to know if there have been any changes to their court case or if it has been rescheduled.

Both of these programs require a victim to confidentially register for updates. For more information on how these two programs work or to register, please contact 1-888-868-4631 or visit www.vinelink.com for more details.