SAVAN SERVICE DESCRIPTION
Who Can Use the SAVAN Service?
Anyone! Family, friends or other concerned persons may call the SAVAN hotline for custody status information. In addition, anyone may register for custody change notification directly through the SAVAN hotline. Only victims of crimes designated for services by state law may register for court event notification. Contact the local District Attorney's office for more information
Using SAVAN-Offender Custody Status Information
Using SAVAN is a three-step process:
- Locating the Offender
- Registering for Notification
- Receiving the Notification call
1. The first step is LOCATING THE OFFENDER. (For operator assistance, press 0 at any time!)
Victims call the SAVAN hotline at 1-877-NCSAVAN. They will be greeted by SAVAN and asked to proceed. Victims query SAVAN by entering either the Offender's Name or Offender Number via the keypad on a touch-tone telephone. (Most searches will be by offender name.)SAVAN will prompt the caller to enter the last name of the offender followed by the # key. If there is only one offender in SAVAN with that last name, the offender's custody status information is automatically given. If there are multiple offenders with the same last name, callers will be asked to enter additional information until SAVAN can locate the correct offender. This information includes:
First Name | Middle initial | Date of Birth | Arrest Date
If additional information is unknown by the caller, a SAVAN/VINE operator will be available to assist in locating the offender. Once the caller hears the custody status information, they can hang up or proceed to the registration process
2. The second step is REGISTRATION FOR NOTIFICATION (For operator assistance, press 0 at any time!)
Once a victim has located the offender he/she will be given the option of registering for automatic notification. SAVAN will guide the caller through the registration process by a series of prompts. To register with SAVAN, a caller must provide a telephone number including the area code where SAVAN can reach them.
Callers should not register a number that reaches a switchboard unless previous arrangements have been made with the switchboard operator.Victims may register as many numbers as they like, but must register each number separately.
SAVAN will also ask the victim to provide a 4-digit personal identification number (PIN) which will be used to confirm a notification. Encourage victims to choose a PIN that is easy to remember.
3. The third and last step is RECEIVING THE NOTIFICATION and confirming that the message has been received.
Once updated offender information is received by SAVAN, it takes less than a minute to scan the database to see if there are any victims registered to receive automatic notification. Notification calls will go out to all phone numbers at the same time whether there is one or one hundred phone numbers registered.
When SAVAN notifies a victim of an offender's custody release, escape or transfer, SAVAN will deliver the notification message and ask for the PIN the caller provided SAVAN during registration.Entering the correct PIN is the only way to stop a notification call and complete the notification process.
If no PIN is entered, SAVAN will continue calling all registered numbers for a 24-hour period. The call pattern will be every 30 minutes until an answering machine or a real person answers the call. Once SAVAN reaches an answering machine or a real person, the message will be delivered and the call pattern will change to every 2 hours until the PIN code is entered.
Using SAVAN-Case Status Information
Most district attorney's offices are pre-registering victims for automated court notification through SAVAN. The district attorney's office then mails to the victim a packet of information, which contains their pin code, and information on the program.
For those officers and victim service agency representatives who wish to access case status information, the following procedures apply:
1. The first step is LOCATING THE CASE. (For operator assistance, press 0 at any time!)
When you call the SAVAN hotline at 1-877-NCSAVAN you will be greeted by SAVAN and asked to proceed. You query SAVAN by selecting option three "If you know the court case number press three" then entering, when prompted, the county code followed by the # sign and the court case number followed by the # sign. If you are having difficulties accessing case status information, a SAVAN/VINE operator will be available to assist. Once you hear the case status information, you can hang up or proceed to the registration process.
2. The second step in the notification process is REGISTRATION. (For operator assistance, press 0 at any time!)
Please note:Victims cannot self-register to receive automated notification of court events via the SAVAN hotline number. Only the Victim Witness/Legal Assistant at the District Attorney's Office can register victims to receive automated notification of court events.
If law enforcement wish to be registered for court notification they should contact the victim witness/legal assistant or they can call the toll-free hotline number at 1-877-627-2826 (1-877-NC-SAVAN). The officer will need the case number and county code in order to access the updated court case information. And if they wish to register, they must option out to the operator who will assist them with registration. Officers cannot self-register for automated court notification without the operator's assistance.
3. The third and last step is RECEIVING A NOTIFICATION and confirming that the message has been received.
Once updated offender case information is received by SAVAN, it takes less than a minute to scan our database to see if there are any victims registered to receive automatic notification. Notification calls will go out to all phone numbers at the same time whether there is one or one hundred phone numbers registered.
When SAVAN notifies a victim of an offender's case status changes, SAVAN will deliver the notification message and ask for the PIN the victim was assigned by the district attorney's office.The pin code must be entered correctly to stop a notification call and complete the notification process. (If you're an officer and you self registered to receive court notification with the SAVAN operator, you assigned your own pin code.
If no PIN is entered, SAVAN will continue calling all registered numbers for a 24-hour period. The call pattern will be every 30 minutes until an answering machine or a real person answers the call. Once SAVAN reaches an answering machine or a real person, the message will be delivered and the call pattern will change to every two hours until the PIN code is entered.
