Frequently Asked Questions

Victim Frequently Asked Questions

Who is a victim?

The definition of "victim" as set forth by NRS 209.4837 1981, 616 is "A natural person, governmental agency, unincorporated association or business organization which is physically injured or otherwise suffers any damages as a direct result of a criminal act for which the offender is incarcerated".  Family members including a spouse, parent, legal guardian, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling or spouse's parent may also qualify as a vicitim if the victim is unable to exercise their rights.

Will my information be kept confidential?

Yes.  All victim information is kept confidential.  Only a select group of people, such as victim advocates working for government agencies, have access to victim information for the purposes of notification.

How do I request to be notified?

Victims may request notification by completing the Victim Notification Request form and provide it to the Victim Services Unit directly.  Contact information for the Victim Services Unit is printed on the form.

How are notifications provided?

The Victim Services Unit provides notifications by mail.  If a notification letter is returned with no forwarding address, or if the forwarding address is illegible, notifications will be disabled until an updated address is received from the victim.

Am I automatically registered for notifications when the offender arrives at the Department of Corrections?

No.  Due to the confidential nature of victim information, the Department of Corrections is given no information regarding the victims of incarcerated offenders.

If I register with VINE, am I also registered with the Department of Corrections?

No. VINE is an additional information resource maintained by the vendor, Appriss, Inc.  VINE can be a helpful tool, but it is not the same as victim registration with the Department of Corrections.  VINE provides some information which the Department of Corrections does not have, including information regarding the transfer of offenders from one institution to another.

What information about the offender can be provided?

The Victim Services Unit provides notifications about sentence structure such as the parole eligibility date and projected expiration date, discharge, death, escape, and re-capture.  The Victim Services Unit cannot provide information about the offender's internal disciplinary history or programming information.

Will I be notified of parole hearings?

Victims whose current mailing address is on file with the Department of Corrections will receive these notifications from the Victim Services Coordinator at the Parole Board Commissioners.  This notification letter will contain information about how to submit victim input for the parole hearing.  The Department of Corrections will send notification of an offender's discharge to Nevada Division of Parole and Probation only when the offender has a locked in parole release date.

Can I collect restitution through the Department of Corrections?

No.  All victim restitution is processed through the Victim Restitution Unit of the Division of Parole and Probation.