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Oregon tech glitch sends 8,000 alerts to crime victims saying inmates to go free Oregon tech glitch sends 8,000 alerts to crime victims saying inmates to go free
(about 9 hours later)
A technical glitch on Friday evening caused an Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) notification system to issue thousands of alerts to crime victims that the perpetrators would soon be released, according to officials and the Oregonian newspaper. Routine computer maintenance caused a major technical glitch that sent out thousands of false reports, saying prison inmates had been released, according to Oregon officials.
The department said in a statement that its Victim Information Notification Everyday, or VINE system, malfunctioned during routine maintenance, sending “numerous notifications to victims in error”. About 8,000 incorrect notices went out to victims and their families Friday evening, including an alert that wrongfully said a prisoner convicted of killing two schoolgirls in Oregon City had been discharged.
The statement added that contractor Appriss was working to repair the problem and would send out an alert to everyone who received a false notification. Corrections department spokeswoman Betty Bernt says the system contractor, Appriss, has twice alerted those who received the notifications to say they were erroneous.
“DOC and Appriss apologize for the erroneous notifications, and are committed to remedying the issue as soon as possible,” the statement said. The glitch, Bernt said, happened while the state was updating its large inmate database, which contains about 15,000 files. She said the notification system will be offline until repairs and an investigation into the problem are complete.
The Oregonian, citing corrections spokeswoman Elizabeth Craig, reported that the system sent out around 8,000 erroneous alerts. Appriss said the notification system called VINE, or Victim Information and Notification Everyday, is used in 47 states, but the glitch was limited to Oregon. The company confirmed in a statement that the problem came from the large update.
Local broadcaster KGW-TV reported that one notification said infamous convicted murderer Ward Weaver III, who was serving a life sentence following his 2004 conviction for killing two teenage girls, was slated for release. Crime victims who use the service can register to receive automated notifications about changes in offenders’ status via phone, email or text.
“Instantly horrified,” Brea Day told KGW-TV after receiving word that her cousin’s killer was being released. “It’s very upsetting.” It was the first time the state’s notification system experienced such problems, Bernt said.
The system allows victims and members of the public to track scheduled release dates for inmates of county jails and state adult and youth correctional facilities as well as those who are on community supervision. Corrections officials said crime victims and members of the public can also check the current status of inmates in state custody by using the Oregon Offender Search option on the internet.
Oregon launched the service in 2001, becoming the 11th state to do so, the statement added. Oregon launched the statewide VINE service in 2001, the corrections department said. In addition to inmates in state Corrections Department facilities, it monitors offenders held in county jails, Oregon Youth Authority facilities and individuals on community supervision.
Both the corrections department and Appriss apologized for the error messages.