CDC releases findings from latest survey on domestic and sexual violence

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is out with a new report on intimate partner and sexual violence. Among the findings:

➢ More than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner
➢ Nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner
➢ Men and women who experienced physical violence by an intimate partner were more likely to report a variety of health problems – both physical and mental
➢ Two-thirds of female stalking victims were stalked by a current or former intimate partner
➢ More than 9 percent of U.S. women have been raped by an intimate partner

The survey findings are from 2010. Read the full report here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/

Kentucky lawmaker files bill to fight meth without forcing law-abiding citizens to get prescriptions for cold and allergy meds

Kentucky State Representative Brent Yonts (D-Greenville) has introduced legislation that he calls a “common sense” solution to fight the state’s meth problem. The measure would require anyone convicted of a meth-related crime to have his or her name placed in a Meth Offender Registry. Anyone on that list would be blocked from purchasing medicine containing pseudoephedrine without a doctor’s prescription.

Yonts says his bill “does not punish law-abiding citizens. It’s a common sense, middle ground solution for fighting meth in Kentucky by targeting criminals, not people who suffer from colds and allergies.”

Kentucky lawmakers are divided over whether to require everyone to get a prescription for cold and allergy medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. Such a bill was defeated in this year’s legislative session and he says the votes are not there for a similar bill that’s expected to be introduced for the 2012 legislature.

There are more than 5,500 people with meth-related convictions in Kentucky and Yonts’ bill would block them from buying medicines with pseudoephedrine unless they have a doctor’s prescription. His measure would also lower the amount of pseudoephedrine a person could buy to 7.5 grams per month from the current 9 grams per month, with a maximum of 60 grams per year.

VINE and the Volunteer State: Victim advocates love it

“I’ve been doing this for 21 years and it’s one of the greatest tools that we’ve had.”

That’s Sue Jones, Statewide Victim/Witness Coordinator for the state of Tennessee talking about VINE. Her comments came during the District Attorneys General Conference in Nashville last month. Tennessee began offering the VINE service in 2008 and victim advocates are singing its praises.

Stokey Bourque, one of Tennessee’s district victim/witness coordinators, says crime victims tell him that VINE gives them tremendous peace of mind. “They don’t have to live in fear. They don’t have to look over their shoulder because they know they’re going to be notified when their offender gets out.”

In addition to crime victims, Bourque says police have also found VINE to be a very helpful tool. “If there’s an offender that ends up being habitual, they will go ahead and register for that person so that they know when the person gets out.”

“There’s no amount of money or anything that you can do or say that gives victims that kind of feeling and that kind of safety net that they have now that they’ve never had in the past,” says Jones. “With VINE we don’t fail these victims. We take care of them. It’s our job to make sure they’re taken care of, and that’s what we do.”

Says Bourque, “The VINE system no doubt saves lives because it allows people to be notified right away, anytime of the day or night.”

“America’s Most Wanted” and VINE supporter John Walsh return to weekly TV

Welcome back! “America’s Most Wanted,” created and hosted by John Walsh – one of the VINE service’s biggest supporters – returns to television on a weekly basis on the Lifetime cable channel beginning Friday, December 2. In a story in The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), Walsh says he’s excited to be “back in the saddle again.”

Walsh has been in the saddle for us by recording PSAs for the VINE service. He’s among a group of celebrities who have touted the benefits of VINE, a list that includes Meredith Baxter, Victor Rivers and Charlie Daniels.

“America’s Most Wanted” began in 1988 on the FOX network, which announced earlier this year that it would no longer run the show as a weekly series. Since it began it has enlisted the help of the public to help capture more than 1,100 fugitives.

Congratulations, John, on your new television home. Keep up the good work!

Watch Walsh VINE PSA: http://youtu.be/raYV6HZ48fw

All right, Mr. DeMille, we’re ready for our close-up

Appriss Inc.’s flagship service, VINE® (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), will be featured on the next episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” the popular NBC crime drama. The episode will air Wednesday, November 2, at 10 p.m. Eastern time. VINE allows crime victims to check on the status of their offender 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to register to be notified when the offender is released or has some other change in their custody status (escape, transfer, court appearance, etc.). Registration is free at www.vinelink.com.

“This is quite a thrill for us,” said Michael Davis, Appriss CEO. “The show’s producers approached us and asked permission to use VINE in an episode and we were more than happy to give it to them. It’ll be fantastic exposure and hopefully will lead to more crime victims registering so they can stay informed about the status of their offender, which will bring some peace of mind and help keep them safer.”

The VINE program began in Louisville in 1994 in response to the 1993 murder of Mary Byron. She was shot to death on her 21st birthday by her ex-boyfriend, who had been jailed for raping her and was released without her knowledge.

In Wednesday’s “Law & Order” episode, a female crime victim receives a call from VINE, notifying her that her offender has been released, giving her the opportunity to take action to protect herself. A link to more information about the VINE service will also be included on the show’s website: www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit, plus there will be an item about the service on the producer’s blog.

Appriss just keeps growing … and growing …

We’re feeling pretty proud – and humble – about a recent piece of news. Appriss is once again among the “Fast 50” – the annual list of the fastest growing companies in the 13-county Louisville metropolitan region as compiled by Business First. That in and of itself is something to be proud of, but the biggest news to come out of this year’s ranking is that we are the only company to make the list each of the 12 years it has been published.

“While hundreds of companies have made this list over the years, we’re proud to be one that has been able to demonstrate long-term growth, even through difficult economic times,” said Appriss CEO Michael Davis. “We’re looking forward to continuing our streak next year.”

The “Fast 50” is open to independent and privately held companies in the Louisville area. To be eligible firms must have an average of at least $1 million in revenue for the three most recent years and have a three-year operating history.

Next year we hope to make it a baker’s dozen. Stay tuned.

Appriss to participate in the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference

The City of Chicago is about to be overrun by high-ranking police officials from across the globe. The 118th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Law Enforcement Education and Technology Exposition opens October 22nd. The IACP is the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of police executives. More than 20,000 members representing approximately 100 countries belong to the organization.

From its beginnings in 1893 to the present, the association has been committed to the goal of advancing the science and art of police services; improving administration, technical and operational practices; and fostering police cooperation and the exchange of information between agencies.

As a vendor for three years now, we at Appriss have personally seen how important this association is to its members and the communities they serve. The innovations, meetings, and seminars themselves bring in the best and the brightest to share ideas and help make our policing even better.

Appriss is proud to once again participate in this huge event. Attendees visiting our booth will learn about the latest updates to JusticeXchange, our secure resource for offender information, as well as BuyCrash, a revolutionary approach to making collision reports available to the public. These tools and many others have already been successful at helping law enforcement agencies do their job.

Approximately 14,000 law enforcement officials are expected to attend. We are looking forward to seeing each and every one of them.

PMP InterConnect is up and running

Prescription abuse is one of the leading problems drug enforcement officials face on a regular basis. A new partnership between the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and Appriss may change that.

The NABP has announced that the PMP InterConnect is fully operational to allow prescription monitoring programs to share data. Two states, Ohio and Indiana, have begun deploying PMP InterConnect to select groups of users. The two states are gradually rolling out access as they fine-tune their internal operations for the expected increase in usage. Since March of this year, 15 states have agreed to participate in the program.

NABP and Appriss worked closely with Optimum Technology, a leading PMP repository, to develop the interface being used in Ohio and Indiana.

NABP estimates that nearly 30 states will be participating in PMP InterConnect by the end of 2012.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

More than one million women are victims of domestic violence each year in the United States.

One in every four women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.

October is the 25th annual national Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). And it is sobering statistics such as those above that highlight the need to inform people about the epidemic of domestic violence and continue to search for remedies to reduce those numbers — and ultimately end domestic violence.

Eliminating domestic violence requires collaborative prevention and response efforts from criminal justice professionals, victims’ service providers, prosecutors, health care providers, educators and elected officials, among others.

The theme for DVAM — “Mourn. Celebrate. Connect.” — serves as a reminder that communities must speak out in a unified voice to combat domestic violence, and as a challenge to every American to support the many programs that seek to create a world free from violence and coercive control.

In addition to assistance provided by the court and legal systems, and victims’ service programs, domestic violence victims in 47 states have access to potentially life-saving information through VINE® (Victim Information and Notification Everyday). The VINE service is Appriss’s signature product and was created following the tragic death of Mary Byron. The Louisville woman was shot to death in 1993 by her ex-boyfriend, who had been arrested on charges of raping her, but was released on bail without her knowledge.

VINE allows crime victims and other concerned citizens to track the custody status of their offenders and register to be notified by phone or email in the event of a release, transfer or court appearance. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a toll-free number or online at www.vinelink.com.

Mary Byron’s death also spurred the creation of the Mary Byron Project in 2000 (www.marybyronproject.org). The national organization works to support programs and innovations aimed at ending domestic violence. Appriss and its employees have donated more than $1 million to help in that effort.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Appriss,” said Marcia Roth, executive director of the Mary Byron Project. “From the creation of VINE to its significant ongoing support, Appriss shares our vision of bringing an end to domestic violence.”

“Appriss is obviously committed to doing everything we can to eliminate domestic violence,” said Appriss CEO Mike Davis. “Hopefully with the increased publicity during Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, more and more people and communities will join the effort to end this crisis and create a safer and healthier environment.”

Domestic Violence Awareness Month was created in 1987 to promote increased rights and services for domestic violence victims; to educate the public about the crisis of domestic violence and the prevalence of this epidemic in all of our lives; and to encourage involvement and support for domestic violence victims and those who serve them.

Annual golf event raises nearly $75,000 to help end domestic violence Nearly 100 golfers participate in 10th annual event

The Mary Byron Project is celebrating yet another successful golf scramble, hosted by Appriss. This year’s event, held Monday, September 19th at Heritage Hill Golf Club in Shepherdsville, brought in almost $75,000 to help fund programs aimed at ending domestic violence. Since the yearly event began, it has raised more than $500,000.
“Even though it was a rainy day, we had incredible support for the scramble again this year. There were almost a hundred golfers — plus our fantastic sponsors and wonderful volunteers — who helped us raise crucial dollars toward our effort to end domestic violence,” said Marcia Roth, executive director of the Mary Byron Project. “This event lets us continue to help fund innovative programs in communities all across the country.”
The Mary Byron Project was created in the fall of 2000, with Appriss providing the initial seed money to start the organization. Since that time, project staff and volunteers have provided assistance to nearly 40 organizations focused on ending domestic violence. More than $600,000 has been donated to programs that have been able to demonstrate innovative, proven solutions.
“We select programs that can serve as models for communities and states throughout the nation. The hope is that other communities learn about these solutions and create similar programs,” said Roth. “This allows us to take one community’s solution and spread it across the country, much like the spread of the VINE® system which began here in Louisville and is now in almost every state.”