Topeka ? The state of Kansas is launching a new system that will give victims of crime greater access to information about offenders being held in county correctional facilities.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Tuesday that a centralized computer system, known as the Kansas Victim Information and Notification Everyday, or VINE system is gradually being phased in to allow crime victims to track offenders being held in county correctional facilities.

VINE is a telephone and web-based notification system operated by the attorney general’s office in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Labor and the Kansas Sheriffs Association. It’s a free and anonymous way for crime victims to keep track of the status of their offenders.

People can register with the system to receive automatic notifications about their offender’s status, including the facilities where they are being held and their scheduled date of release. The system also allows access to offender information in other participating states.

“Kansas VINE serves as a vital community safety resource for victims, victim advocates, victim assistance staff, criminal justice professionals, and community members,” Schmidt said in a statement released Tuesday. “It is an additional source of information victims of crime can incorporate into their safety strategies.”

Information about offenders being held in state facilities is already centralized through the Kansas Department of Corrections. But before the VINE system was launched, there was no centralized system for tracking offenders held in county facilities.

The state began launching the VINE system in March, and Schmidt said it is still in the early phase of implementation. Currently there are 18 counties whose corrections databases have been activated in the VINE system. The remaining counties will be activated over the next two years.

Douglas County is not currently listed as one of the counties participating. Officials in the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately available Tuesday to say when their data will be integrated into the VINE system.