Important Information for Victims to Know

It is the responsibility of Victim Services to schedule all bond hearings and guilty pleas at the Detention Center. Please contact Victim Services for the scheduled times. Please note: It is not the responsibility of the arresting police officer to schedule hearings. Please make certain the hearing is scheduled prior to arrival.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the responsibility of the victim to notify Victim Services of any address or telephone number changes. This ensures notification to the victim of any hearings or the release of a defendant in a timely manner. Please call the office or send an e-mail to the general Victim Services address (JRLvictim@horrycounty.org) to update victim information.

According to the South Carolina statute, victims have the right to be present at all criminal court hearings, trials, and other proceedings concerning cases in which they are involved but not mandatory. If a victim wants to be present for any hearing or proceeding in their case, they must inform the police officer during the time of incident or this department. If a victim is unable to attend a hearing for any reason, the victim advocate will appear in court and speak on their behalf.

A victim cannot dismiss or drop charges against a defendant at a bond hearing. If a victim wants to dismiss or drop charges against a defendant, the procedure for doing this is processed through the Solicitor's Office only if the charges involves a high court crime and/or all DV cases. Please contact their office at (843) 915-5460 to inquire about the proper procedure. Please note: Although a victim may want to dismiss or drop charges against a defendant, it is the sole authority of the Solicitor's Office or the Magistrate’s trial court to make that decision.

The South Carolina statute, code section 16-3-1550(A), mandates that employers must allow victims time off from work to attend all criminal court hearings, trials and other proceedings regarding their case. An employer cannot retaliate against, suspend, or reduce the wages and benefits of a victim. If an employer does not allow a victim time off from work to attend a criminal court hearing, please notify Victim Services so the victim advocate can intervene on behalf of the victim.

South Carolina Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN)

SAVIN is an automated service provided to victims of crime. SAVIN communicates with J. Reuben Long Detention Center's booking system in near real-time. The service transmits updated information to a data network that calls, text and/or sends e-mails to victims when an offender is being released from custody. When SAVIN calls the victim via its automated service, the automated voice will ask for a pin number to confirm the notification. If a victim does not have a PIN, they must contact a Victim Advocate to receive their PIN. A victim must have access to a phone or a computer to receive this service. Click on SAVIN to navigate to the website to register to be notified of an offender's release from J. Reuben Long Detention Center.