Victim Registration
A registered victim, witness, or victim family member is entitled by law to be notified when the convicted offender receives a temporary, provisional, or final release from custody, or if the offender dies while in custody or escapes from custody. The action to register is the responsibility of the person wanting notification. That person must provide the Department of Corrections with their name, address and telephone number and that information must be updated as changes occur.
Please note: The Department of Corrections does not schedule or conduct parole hearings. To register for notification of parole hearings, you must contact the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. That toll-free number is 1-888-551-4118.
Who Can Register?
A Victim: Victim refers to a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as the result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime against that person. The term “victim” also includes the person’s spouse, parent, child, or lawful representative of a crime victim who is a minor child, who is incompetent, who was a homicide victim or who is physically or psychologically incapacitated as a result of the crime. If you are not the direct victim of the crime, please provide your relationship to the victim in the appropriate space on the Victim Impact Statement or the Victim Registration form.
A Witness: A witness may also register for notification if the witness is a person who has been or was expected to be summoned to testify for either the prosecution or the defense, or who by reason of having relevant information was subject to call or likely to be called as a witness for the prosecution or defense, whether or not any action or proceeding was commenced.
Online Victim Registration is now available.
To register for notification with the Division of Victim Services you may use the automated Victim Request for Registration form. This link is secure and your registration information is confidential under state statute and only accessible to authorized correctional employees statewide. Please fill out this form in its entirety and select the E-mail Form button to send your registration information to the Division of Victim Services. Please call the Division of Victim Services at 803-896-1733 or 1-800-835-0304, if you have questions, or if you incur a problem using this form.
For more information, contact:
South Carolina Department of Corrections
Division of Victim Services
P. O. Box 21787
Columbia, South Carolina 29221
(803) 896-1733 or 1-800-835-0304
Victim Notification
The Department of Corrections provides notification for:
- Community Labor Crew Placement
- Work Program Placement
- Institutional Transfers
- Sexually Violent Predator Act Review
- Supervised Reentry
- Early Release to Supervised Furlough II Program
- Completion of Prison Sentence
- Court-Ordered Release
- Escape and Recapture
- Death of Inmate
South Carolina has a constitutional amendment pertaining to the rights of crime victims.
Know your rights as a victim of crime. To review the Crime Victim Bill of Rights, click here.
The South Carolina Code of Laws (Section 16-3-1530) requires the department to provide a notice of release– a temporary, provisional or final release from custody–and to provide a notice of escape. Additionally, for registered victims who have provided a home telephone or cell phone number to the department, the South Carolina Victim Information and Notification Everyday System (SC VINE) is used to provide notifications by automated call, text message or email of transfers between facilities.
SC VINE calls registered victims following an offender’s transfer from one facility to another. Notices of release from custody are provided by letter. Personal telephone calls are immediate with information about an escape and the subsequent apprehension. We are committed to keeping victims informed during the time the offender is on escaped-status. Click here to learn more about the SC VINE System.
*It is important to note that the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, a separate agency from the Department of Corrections, is responsible for notifying a registered victim when the inmate is scheduled to come before the parole board. That agency can be reached toll free at 1-888-551-4118. (www.dppps.sc.gov)
For more information, contact:
The Division of Victim Services
South Carolina Department of Corrections
P. O. Box 21787
Columbia, South Carolina 29221
Fax: 803-896-5568
(803) 896-1733 or 1-800-835-0304
SC VINE
The Department of Corrections utilizes the South Carolina Victim Information and Notification Everyday System (SC VINE) as a resource for victims and community members. SC VINE is a network of county detention facilities around South Carolina, the state prison system, and community supervision services.
SC VINE is a free service that provides information and notifications regarding offenders in custody or community supervision in multiple languages to include English and Spanish. The service is available 24 hours a day and is powered by VINE, Victim Information and Notification Everyday. Crime victims, law enforcement officers, and concerned citizens are welcome to use the system to search for an offender or register for notifications by telephone at 1.866.727.2846 or by using the VINELink website at https://vinelink.vineapps.com/state/SC and clicking on South Carolina.
Telephone: 1-866-727-2846
For Questions Email: scvine@doc.sc.gov
Click here to learn more about the SC VINE System.
Restitution
Restitution Related to a Straight Time Sentence
The S.C. Department of Corrections is responsible for collecting victim restitution ordered by the sentencing court. Depending on how restitution was ordered, straight time offenders who are enrolled in a paid work program pay 20% of paid gross wages towards victim restitution. Restitution collected during incarceration will be sent to the appropriate County Clerk of Court to be disbursed to the restitution recipient(s). Once released, if ordered to make payments through the court, offenders will make payment to the Clerk of Court in the county in which the offense was committed. If ordered to pay through supervision, then payments are made through the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.
Restitution Related to a Youthful Offender Sentence
When a Youthful Offender has been court ordered to pay restitution, payments are made after the youthful offender is conditionally released from SCDC institutional custody to Intensive Supervision Services community supervision. The young offender’s Intensive Supervision Officer (ISO) will set a monthly payment schedule based on the young offender’s employment status and financial obligations. Payments will be collected and disbursed by SCDC’s Division of Budget and Finance until the offender completes supervision.
Victim Services can assist victims of offenders who were sentenced under the Youthful Offender Act, and were court ordered to pay restitution, with information pertaining to restitution payments. It is important to note that although restitution may be part of a court ordered sentence or disposition, victims are not guaranteed payment.
Civil Judgments
When a youthful offender is about to complete his/her period of supervision and a restitution debt remains, on motion by the offender’s Intensive Supervision Officer, a civil judgment hearing must be held in civil court to require the offender to show cause why his/her default should not be treated as a civil judgment. A civil judgement is a General Sessions Court disposition that states the offender owes a victim a sum of money. A judgment is entered by the court against the offender and filed with the clerk of court in that county. The civil judgment creates a lien against the offender that will show up on credit checks and real estate tittle searches until the restitution is paid. The judgment is enforceable for 10 years and can be renewed.
For additional questions about restitution and the civil judgement process, you may contact the Division of Victim Services at 1-800-835-0304 or email us at victimservices@doc.sc.gov.
Unwanted Contact
If you have been threatened or are in immediate danger, call 911 first.
If you are being harassed or are receiving unwanted communication, of any kind, from an offender in an SCDC facility or in the community under the supervision of Young Offender Parole and Reentry Services, please contact the Division of Victim Services at 1-800-835-0304. We will assist in taking measures to stop the contact and assist you with any necessary safety measures. You can also report offender usage of cellphones and Social Media using the link found on this website’s homepage.