“SAVIN” The Day

Karin HoThe Office of Victim Services

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

June 17, 2007

The Office of Victim Services• Provide notification for over 40,000

victims• Comprehensive victim services:

• Crisis Intervention/Support throughout corrections process (victim safety planning, executions, parole hearings, etc…)• Victim Offender Dialogue Program• Batterer’s Intervention Program• Victim Awareness Program• Community/Department Educational

Programs• PREA• Staff Victimization

December 30, 2005…It started out like such a

normal day…

• December 30th – Friday before the holiday weekend, it was Karin’s only vacation day

• Most staff thought it would be a good day to catch up on paperwork

• Shelly was moving her office

Ground Zero…

• 12:45 Lori: Hi all, I think we have a BIG problem!!! I’ve received several calls from VERY upset victims stating VINE just called to tell them the

offenders in their cases have been RELEASED!!!!!! When I checked in our system though, they haven’t! HELP!!!!!!!!!

Email to Alert Staff…• 12:46 Shelly: WE have received over 20

calls so far from victims getting wrong release information from VINE. Apparently, something real BIG has gone wrong. I just got off the phone with an executive from Appriss. There appears to be no pattern, so she is afraid they are calling ALL our victims statewide saying their offender’s have been released. I need everyone’s help in answering phones and calling victims back. Victims are so panicked. I will let you know as I receive more information. I have to keep my line open to wait for call from VINE.

Classic moment…

• We in Victim Services might be fabulous advocates…but we’re not computer savvy!

• Shelly…

• JUST HIT THE STOP BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Email Alert to DRC Executive Staff…

• 1:23 Shelly: We are aware of the current notification problems. VINE is experiencing major complications! …we are currently in contact with them and they are holding all calls until this can be resolved. Please

refer all victims to our office at 1-888-842-8464. Thanks for your

assistance.

Email update to OVS staff…

• 1:30 Shelly: Hi There. Just an update: 3000 victims were called and the others have been put on hold. VINE is trying to reach someone in our IT Department. We’re putting them in touch with Umang Nanda ASAP!

• 1:37 Shelly: Can you guys start calling your county victim advocates and letting them know what’s going on with VINE?

Ways we got the word out…

• Created PSA and distributed it to all media outlets

• Personally called every victim witness advocate• Emailed all victim advocacy groups across the

state and their membership• Worked with AG’s and VINE to generate 2nd call• Posted message on website:

• “Due to a computer error, the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) System is contacting victims more than likely giving them incorrect offender release information. We are currently addressing this issue. Please direct questions and concerns to our Office of Victim Services toll free 1-888-842-8464. We apologize for any inconvenience this error has caused”

Non-stop e-mails…

• 5:08Karin: Channel 6 did a nice quick PSA with our toll free number. I’m sure you’ll be getting a lot of calls. …like you’re not already!!!!!

• 5:09Shelly: Phones won’t stop ringing!• 7:04Shelly: VINE has confirmed they

sent the follow up message to victims saying the earlier message was an error. Many victims have confirmed this we’re talking to.

• 7:11Shelly: OH MY GOD…….DOTS IS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More…

• 7:18 Shelly: What the heck!! I feel like I’m in some sort of nightmare!!!

• 7:21 Karin: Me too! I might not be in the office, but I haven’t set down my Blackberry since 1:00!!! My thumbs are actually aching!!

Reality…

• Trauma, re-victimization and panic don’t begin to describe the depth of what happened…

• There are so many stories…• Called NetCare for a woman in Columbus• Man in hospital with possible heart attack in Dayton• Victim in Florida in panic over teenage children in

Ohio alone catching next flight back to Ohio• Victim Advocate came back to office with over 10

victims in his lobby…man grabs him by shoulders screaming…

• Absolutely pandemonium• Not ALL calls were in error…

Statistics…

• OVS received over 1000 calls from noon until 8:00 p.m.

• Many more called institutions, Parole Board, VINE, Director’s Office directly in desperation

• Public Information received dozens of media calls (34 Friday night alone between 9:00 p.m. and midnight!)

Impact on staff…

• Our staff were completely devastated

• Staff who were victims, after working all day, working tirelessly to comfort and support panicked victims…went home to find their own personal VINE messages on their answering machines

How do you thank staff?...• 4:40 Karin: I’m finding myself at a

loss for words over the gratitude I feel for the fabulous job you have done today! I can’t imagine a better team working together in this crisis. I appreciate everyone’s willingness to pull together. You’ll all making me so proud!! I know it’s been a very rough day! I know we are not out of the woods yet, but I just had to tell everyone how much I appreciate each and every one of you!

E-mails summarizing the crisis…

• 8:05 Shelly: Calls have really slowed in the last 10 minutes. We’ll probably leave soon. They started slowing down once victims got the second call from VINE. Thank God!

• 8:08 Karin: You all should be very proud!! Thank you sooooo much for handling this crisis beautifully!

• 8:10 Shelly: Thanks! I just feel so sick for victims. My stomach is in knots. I hope to get home in time to see the bashing on MSNBC.

• 8:16 Shelly: We are tired, lonely, hungry, sweaty, smelly, sad, mad, bitter and ready to go home. Talk to you tomorrow.

• 8:18 Shelly: Nancy is starting to hallucinate and is having intrusive thoughts. I’m calling

NetCare…hee hee!

APPRISS response…

• Very supportive• Driven, just as we were, to figure

out what the problem was• APPRISS staff were equally

devastated. We were not alone• Immediately offered to personally

call all victims we thought could benefit from hearing from them

• Came to Ohio within days to outline analysis of what happened

• Offered to sit on governance Board with us

Lessons learned…• Did not anticipate a crisis like this. We had

disaster recovery plans for fire, computer breakdowns, etc…but not a notification error like this that would impact so many victims in such a short period of time

• Realized how truly coordinated our staff were to accomplish the impossible

• In the end, it didn’t even matter who’s ‘fault’ it was. The damage was done. We were ALL responsible to support victims through the aftermath!

• We were blown away by the support from county victim advocates calling periodically to make sure we were okay!

• Need for oversight/governance Board

“SAVIN” the Day

The Chinese characters for “crisis” and “opportunity” are the same.

Moving beyond the crisis and taking ACTION

• Understanding what happened – critical• Taking measures to prevent• Rebuilding trust with victim community• Importance of personal calls to victims

to address concerns

Statewide VINE Coalition

Meet monthly to identify and resolve issues as well as enhance current notification system in Ohio

Made up of key stakeholders:• Department of Rehabilitation and

Correction• Department of Youth Services• Attorney General’s Office• Buckeye Sheriff’s Association• Prosecutor-based Victim Witness

Advocates• CRIME VICTIMS

Never more evident that the

work we’re doing each and every day is impacting the life of a victim somewhere.

We must never forget what a privilege it is to be doing what we’re doing!!!!