Iowa crime victims can now access a new tool to monitor the status of offenders. A free application called VINEMobile allows any user of a smart phone or tablet to anonymously monitor the location and custody status of offenders.
Janelle Melohn, director of the Crime Victim Assistance Division within the Iowa Attorney General’s office, says the app is loaded with information. “You can (search) any county jail or the Iowa Department of Corrections and get an immediate roster of all the inmates that are currently incarcerated,” Melohn says.
The app is an extension of the IowaVINE system, which allows people to sign up for text messages when a specific offender is transferred or released. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday.
The VINEmobile app is available for both Android and Apple devices. “We only hope to enhance it going forward by providing other resources such as phone numbers and websites for victims to get even more information,” Melohn says. For both Android and Apple devices, users can find the app using the search term “VINEMobile.”