VINE NY

1-888-VINE-4NY

Crime victims as well as all other New Yorkers can now use their touch-tone phones to make toll-free calls to get information about convicted felony offenders in the custody of the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), the state's prison system.

New Yorkers can obtain that information free through VINE - Victim Information and Notification Everyday - available around-the-clock in both English and Spanish.

VINE provides crime and release data on all prison inmates.   To get information, you must:

  • Contact the prosecuting District Attorney's Office to get the inmate's New York State Identification Number (NYSID) or date of birth.
  • Call VINE from a touch-tone phone:  1-888-VINE-4NY(1-888-846-3469).
  • Provide the offender's NYSID number, or full name and date of birth or DOCS' identification number.

VINE - it's now the law!

VINE was enacted by the state Legislature in 1998 as part of Governor Pataki's Jenna's Law, which ended discretionary parole for first-time violent felony offenders.

This law authorizes crime victims as well as all other New Yorkers to receive information relating to the crime, sentence and release date of persons serving sentences in state prison.

You may also register with VINE for automatic notification by telephone if the inmate is released.

To register when calling VINE, you will be asked to provide:

  • The phone number at which you wish to be notified.
  • A four-digit Personal Identification Number that you select to allow VINE to confirm your identity and to keep your identity confidential.

For additional information and on-line inmate look-up, contact

NYS Department of Correctional Services

Office of Victim Services
The Harriman State Campus
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12226-2050

1-800-783-6059

DISCLAIMER: These pages contain only general information reflective of the time of their original postings on the web. They do not constitute and are not represented to be legal, health, mental, social, or other professional counseling, support, assistance, or advice. For such help, one should contact the appropriate authorities and consult licensed professionals.