CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – A victim-notification system connected to the Cibola County Detention Center remains offline after several weeks of technical problems involving Core-Civic and the VINE network, leaving crime victims and members of the public unable to receive automated updates about inmate custody changes through the service.
VINE, which stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday, is a free automated system used to provide information about an offender’s custody status. Users may register to receive notifications when an individual is released, transferred or experiences another change in custody.
Cibola County Manager Kate Fletcher said Tuesday that replacement equipment needed to restore the connection has arrived and is now awaiting installation by a technician.
“They have now received it,” Fletcher said. “Now they’re waiting for a technician to go in and put it in and connect it to everything.”
The outage involves communication between the VINE system and the Core-Civic database used to house inmate information for the Cibola County Detention Center. CoreCivic operates the detention center under contract with Cibola County.
Fletcher said the repair process was delayed after replacement hardware sent from CoreCivic’s headquarters in Pennsylvania was lost or delayed during shipping and had to be reordered.
She said county Detention Liaison Marina Pena has remained in frequent contact with CoreCivic and others involved in the repair process.
“Marina is on it every single week, every couple days,” Fletcher said. “The warden is aware. Everybody is aware of it.”
Fletcher did not identify the exact type of equipment involved during the interview, referring generally to hardware needed to restore the system. She said the repair is now dependent on CoreCivic and technical personnel completing the installation.
“It’s on them, not us,” Fletcher said, while adding that the county continues to press for a resolution.
The latest update follows a July 13 email from Fletcher responding to concerns raised by Cibola County resident Harry Hall. In that email, Fletcher said the county had been working with CoreCivic personnel and VINE Data Operations over several weeks to resolve the outage.
According to the email, VINE identified a network connectivity issue and opened a technical support ticket. A replacement router was then shipped to Core-Civic, but additional troubleshooting was required after the device failed to establish communication.
Fletcher wrote that county staff continued seeking updates from CoreCivic and VINE officials and urged that the system be restored as quickly as possible.
“While we understand the frustration caused by this outage, it is important to note that the VINE platform itself, along with the supporting network infrastructure, is operated and maintained by third-party entities,” Fletcher wrote. “Nevertheless, Cibola County continues to monitor the situation closely and advocate for a prompt resolution because we recognize the importance of timely victim notification.”
Hall has repeatedly contacted county officials, state representatives and news organizations about the outage. He said the problem is especially concerning because local law enforcement agencies frequently announce arrests through social media, while the public has been unable to reliably track custody changes through VINE.
Hall cited New Mexico victim-rights laws and questioned whether the extended outage meets requirements related to electronic victim notification.
The outage may be especially significant for survivors of domestic violence and other crime victims who rely on custody notifications as part of their personal safety planning.
MaryEllen Garcia, chief executive officer of the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, responded to Hall’s concerns in July and said the outage could have a serious impact on survivors of intimate partner violence.
Fletcher acknowledged the concern and said the county understands the importance of the system.
“I completely understand the concern here,” Fletcher said.
She said the county has been told that the service should be restored once the replacement equipment is installed, but no firm restoration date was provided.
As of Tuesday, the system had not yet been confirmed operational.
Residents and victims who may be affected should not assume that VINE notifications connected to the Cibola County Detention Center are currently functioning. The county had not yet provided details about whether a temporary or manual notification process is being used while repairs continue.
Fletchere encouragfes families in need of notification of release to contact Cibola County at 505-287-9431 and ask for the detention liaison. The county will handle necessary notifications.