What is PA SAVIN?
PA SAVIN stands for Pennsylvania Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification. It is a free, confidential and automated service that helps victims, law enforcement and community members keep up to date on the status of an offender housed in a county jail, state prison or under state parole supervision within the Commonwealth. PA SAVIN will allow you to receive specific information about an offender's custody status, such as an inmate's release, transfer or escape. Registration for automated notifications should only be one part of a comprehensive safety plan for victims of crime.
If you are not a victim of crime and would like to be notified when a particular inmate is released, transferred or escapes from a county jail or State prison, please call toll-free 1-866-9PA-SAVIN or visit VINELINK.
If you are a victim of a Pennsylvania crime and the offender is serving a state sentence (24 months or more), you have the right to receive additional services and notifications not available to the public. To receive these services and notifications, you must register with the Office of the Victim Advocate. If you are a victim of crime and register with PA SAVIN only, you will NOT be notified when an offender is being considered for release.
If you are a victim of crime, the available registration options are:
1. OVA and PA SAVIN-Register with the Office of the Victim Advocate and automatically be enrolled for PA SAVIN. You will receive notice about your right to provide a statement when an offender is being considered for release as well as notifications when the offender is transferred, released and other custody changes;
2. PA SAVIN ONLY-Register with PA SAVIN only to receive notices when the offender is transferred or released;
3. OVA ONLY-Register with OVA only (and opt out of SAVIN registration) to receive notices about your right to provide a statement when the offender is being considered for release and notice about the outcome of release decisions made by the PA Department of Correction and PA Board of Probation and Parole. You will also receive notifications about inmate escape and certain releases.
Click here for information on registering with the Office of the Victim Advocate.What is the difference between registering with OVA and with PA SAVIN?
Any concerned citizen can sign up with PA SAVIN for notification. PA SAVIN provides notification about offender releases but DOES NOT provide notification when a DOC or PBPP offender is being considred for certain types of release. Victims of crime are entitled to certain rights under PA law to receive notice and provide a statement when certain offender related events occur but they must be enrolled in the OVA program. Eligible crime victims should register with both OVA and PA SAVIN if they want to be notified of their right to provide input into DOC pre-release and PBPP parole release decisions.
