A Surge in Out-Of-State Prisoners
There are some changes going on at the Vermont Department of Corrections, and in Vermont prisons, and it’s not for the better.
Jon Murad, former Burlington police chief who left that position under controversy and who the city of South Burlington chose not to hire as their police chief, has been appointed by Governor Scott as interim DOC commissioner.
This past week, many incarcerated Vermonters heard that they would be relocated to Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, A Core Civic-owned prison in Mississippi. Two busloads, in fact. And no consideration is being given to the roles these people are playing in their prison communities. In Springfield, four out of six of those being transferred are Open Ears coaches. As one coach who is being sent to Mississippi writes, (more…)
The Hidden Cost of Prison
As anyone with an incarcerated family member knows, life behind bars is expensive. Incarcerated people in Vermont have expenses that are not met by the state: they need to keep themselves stocked with shirts, socks, and other clothing. They need to purchase stamps, paper, and envelopes if they want to write letters. Someone has to keep their phone account funded in order to call loved ones. They need to purchase food and other items from the commissary. Not all people in prison can have jobs there, and if they do, they earn in the neighborhood of $1 per day. It’s not going to go very far.
A “voracious appetite” for punishment
The failure of leadership on matters related to human rights and criminal justice lays at the feet of both Governor Scott and the legislature, Democratic and Republicans alike. Representatives at the Vermont Department of Corrections informed me that there is a “voracious appetite” from the Governor’s office and the Legislature to ‘lock people up.” Meanwhile, I’m hearing from people at facilities throughout Vermont who are forced to sleep three and four people in cells designed for two people. It should come as little surprise that the entire “correctional systems” in Vermont are broken. (more…)
The Cost of Living in Prison
In prison, you are not supplied with all your needs by the Department of Corrections (DOC). You are provided the bare necessities when you are admitted, but after that you are on your own. You need to purchase socks, tee shirts, shoes. You need to supplement the three prison meals with soups and snacks. You need to purchase personal hygiene products. You can only do this through the prison commissary, run under a contract with a company called Keefe Group. Your loved ones on the outside can only purchase items for you through the prison commissary. And the commissary is expensive, more expensive than on the outside. (more…)
How to Get Fired at SSCF
On Wednesday, November 6, the Brattleboro Commons published a piece in their Voices section, Prison Educator Fired for Writing a Poem. The poem itself was also published, Elegy to Gary Partridge. If you have not read these pieces, I strongly urge you to do so. They are very moving, and describe an ongoing situation at our Vermont prisons that affects the safety of the residents there, particularly neurodivergent people. Below is the letter to the editor I wrote and which was published the following week.
For-Profit Prison Healthcare Harms Vermonters
The state of Vermont does not have capital punishment, yet David Mitchell, an incarcerated Vermonter died gasping for air. 28 VSA 801 states: a)The Department shall provide health care for inmates in accordance with the prevailing medical standards. Sadly, David Mitchell, 46 at the time, was not the recipient of the care our law mandates; instead, he received the death penalty. (more…)