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Commissioners authorize county judge to sign statewide automated victim notification agreement
Summary
The commissioners authorized the county judge to sign a Statewide Automated Victim Notification Service (SAVNS) agreement with a new subcontractor; officials said the county will seek grant reimbursement from the Attorney General's Office and will train jail staff on the system.
The Van Zandt County Commissioners Court authorized the county judge to sign a new Statewide Automated Victim Notification Service (SAVNS) agreement managed by the Texas Attorney General's Office and a newly selected subcontractor.
County staff told the court the county is required to participate in the SAVNS program, which notifies victims when someone is released from custody. The county also receives a grant from the attorney general—s office to offset the cost if paperwork is filed correctly.
Court members discussed uncertainty about local jail procedures and whether automatic uploads and notifications currently operate as intended. A county IT representative described the system as integrated with the jail management system but said an education issue likely explains gaps in practice: "It's an education issue. Yeah," one official said when asked about notification failures.
A motion to authorize the county judge to sign the agreement was made and seconded; the court voted "Aye" and the chair declared the motion passed. County staff said they will continue working with jail personnel to ensure JMS (jail management system) data is transmitted correctly to the SAVNS vendor and to pursue grant reimbursement from the Attorney General's Office.
