"This program, I think, will do wonders for helping victims, witnesses, and the general public to find out, insofar as our Philadelphia prison system is concerned, the whereabouts of any prisoner," said District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham at a news conference at her office.

The program, known as PA SAVIN, is an automated network that allows people to check the custody status and location of an inmate in the city prison system by telephone or on the Internet in real time, officials said.

Philadelphia is the 26th of Pennsylvania's 67 counties to join the PA SAVIN system, said Abraham, adding the system is expected to cover all Pennsylvania counties with jails by October. Four counties - Forest, Sullivan, Cameron and Fulton - do not have county jails, officials said.

A plan to cover the state prison system with the PA SAVIN is being developed, although it is uncertain when the system would be implemented, Abraham said.

She said the Pennsylvania project cost $1.25 million, which is being paid by the U.S. Department of Justice.

PA SAVIN first was implemented in Centre County in 2005, officials said. Other states began using SAVIN technology in 1994, officials said.

Users can call a toll-free number, 1-866-972-7284, for live operator assistance or log onto www.pacrimevictims.state.pa.us. The service is offered in English and Spanish.

After accessing the system, a caller registers and receives a personal identification number. When an offender is transferred, is released, or escapes, the caller is notified via e-mail or telephone. Abraham said that if callers could not be reached by phone or e-mail, a letter would be sent.

"We hope that through this effort and others like it, we will be able not only to enhance public safety but to assist victims wherever they are," said Louis Giorla, commissioner of the city's prison system.

"I think it's going to be useful for any victim who is awake at 3 a.m. and needs the reassurance to know that their perpetrator continues to be in custody," said Mary Catherine Lowery, cochair of the Philadelphia Coalition for Victim Advocacy. "Those are the times when often it's hard to reach out to anyone else."