Vermont Department of Corrections
Coverage of Vermont Department of Corrections in the Nexus archive.
- A Department of Corrections policy is quietly reshaping how long people are incarcerated in Vermont
A new Vermont Department of Corrections policy called 'risk containment' allows the department to incarcerate individuals past their minimum release dates if deemed a risk, impacting inmates like G., who may serve until 2032 despite a 2025 plea deal. The policy, introduced in July 2024, has limited participants' access to release mechanisms like furlough and parole recommendations.
- A federal judge orders an ICE detainee with mental illness released, finding her six-month detention unconstitutional
A Haitian asylum seeker with mental illness was ordered released from Vermont detention after six months, with a federal judge ruling her prolonged detention without a hearing violated her Fifth Amendment due process rights. The case highlighted disputes between prison healthcare providers and outside experts over her treatment.
- After years of stifling heat, Vermont invests nearly $10.5 million in prison air conditioning
Vermont has approved a $10.5 million investment to install air conditioning in correctional facilities after years of heat-related complaints from staff and incarcerated individuals. The funding will address permanent cooling systems at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield and Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport, while two other prisons will remain without permanent AC.