INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An I-Team 8 investigation led to a change in a statewide system meant to protect people across Indiana who depend on notifications about convicts from the Indiana Department of Correction, which advocates believe could save lives.

Indianapolis mother Kimber Amonette said, “Finally. It’s good that it’s happened. It’s a start for everyone else.”

News 8 shared her story in June, when the man who victimized Amonette as a child, Daniel Kelly, visited her workplace two days in a row.

Kelly, who is also Amonette’s father, was released early from his 72-year prison sentence for child molesting charges involving Amonette and her sisters. 

Because authorities could not serve Kelly with a protective order, a police officer told Amonette there was no way to legally prevent him from approaching her. 

“It was overwhelming,” Amonette said. “It felt like the system failed me.”

I-Team 8 took Amonette’s story directly to the office of Republican Gov. Mike Braun. Within weeks, the Braun administration acted to protect survivors by updating a statewide alert system. 

The Indiana Department of Correction sends emails and texts to crime victims through the Statewide Automated Victim Information Notification, or SAVIN, program. It’s a free service to notify victims of an incarcerated offender’s change of status, including their release from prison. 

The Braun administration and Indiana Department of Correction have updated the text notification, so when an offender is released, planned to be released, or escapes, the new message to registered victims will include the following information.

“Civil protection orders are available for situations involving domestic or family violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or child sex grooming. To learn more about these orders, visit https://www.in.gov/courts/selfservice/protection-orders/“

Email updates have already included this information, but, following Amonette’s story, it will now be sent straight to survivors’ phones.

The Indiana Department of Correction said the updated texts began the week of July 21.

Laura Berry, executive director of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said of the change, “Any resources or information that can go out to victims or survivors in advance, to know how to obtain this information, is key to keeping them safe.”

Berry’s nonprofit offers assistance to file for protective orders. The orders of protection can bar contact between an offender and their victim as well as children or even pets. Violating the order can lead to criminal charges.

“A protective order basically is preventing future violence,” Berry said. 

Victims can file for a protective order once an offender’s release date is set. 

The updated text notification can help victims start the filing process before an offender is released, which Berry believes can be crucial in having the orders successfully served.  “Because oftentimes when an offender is released from custody, you don’t know where they’re going. There needs to be a reliable address to serve that order of protection.” 

This effort to make information on protective orders more accessible, Berry believes, could save lives. “Any additional information that’s provided to survivors, about how to keep them safe when an offender is being released, is critical.”

Amonette hopes the change to statewide automated notifications can help others in her position quickly secure orders of protection, and prevent what happened to her from happening to others. “It’s not fair for anyone to have to go through that.”

Since News 8’s initial reporting on Kelly, he’s violated parole. The Indiana Department of Correction said he was found guilty of possessing obscene materials and violating GPS monitoring. Kelly has returned to prison, with a scheduled release date in May 2028. 

Amonette hopes this change to the statewide automated notificaitons can also open a conversation about other options to protect survivors like herself. 

Crisis support services (via Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

Sexual assault and harassment

• National Sexual Assault Hotline, a service of RAINN | online chat hotline | Spanish online chat hotline.
• National Helpline for Male Survivors, a service of 1in6 |Online chat hotline.
• National Street Harassment Hotline, a service of Stop Street Harassment | Online chat hotline | 855-897-5910.
• DoD Safe Helpline, a service for members of the U.S. military and their families, operated by RAINN for the Department of Defense | Online chat hotline | 877-995-5247.

Domestic and dating violence

• National Domestic Violence Hotline | Online chat hotline | 800-799-7233.
• Love is Respect, a service of the National Domestic Violence Hotline | Online chat hotline | 866-331-9474.

Other resources

• VictimConnect, a service of the National Center for Victims of Crime, for all crime victims | Online chat hotline | 855-484-2846.
• National Human Trafficking Hotline, a service of Polaris | Online chat hotline | 888-373-7888.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children | 800-843-5678.

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