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,

“….we talk to, listen to, assist in a myriad of different ways, helping those who cannot read or write, pushing the handicapped in their wheelchairs when needed. We spend time with those who have no one else, who have serious mental disabilities. We are trained in dementia recognition and how to interact with those declining with dementia. We are also trained in hospice care for our aging incarcerated population who are at the end of life and cannot go to other facilities for one reason or the other. We take a huge load off of the already overworked and underappreciated staff here at the facility. We are used to the fullest extent, because the work and the demand is abundant, due to (SSCF) being Vermont DOC’s mental health facility and “hospital” facility. We love our work, but now due to the new management this useful program is in jeopardy, 4 out of our 6 ‘Open Ears’ staff (inmates) are being sent out of state to Mississippi.”

People, including these Open Ears coaches, are enrolled in Vermont Community College (VCC) classes, and are leaving their classes mid-semester to go to Mississippi

Population as of Nov 4, increased out-of-state is close to twice that number.

Why is this happening now? I suggest it’s due to several issues:

1. Lack of staffing: The DOC is trying hard to hire and retain staff, but given that the job is grueling and double shifts are expected, this has been an uphill battle.

2. Increased prison population: the population decreased around the time of the Covid pandemic but now is back to pre-pandemic levels or higher. Much of the increase is due to legislation from the last session that increased penalties for some offenses.

3. ICE detainees: As of this writing, the Department of Corrections is holding 80 federal detainees. While a few of those may not be ICE detainees, it’s safe to assume the great majority of them are. And for those who think that Vermont is a better place for undocumented people than a federal facility, these detainees only spend a few days in our prisons before being transferred to a detention center.

The culture of the Department of Corrections is changing. With the appointment of Interim Commissioner Murad, and the retirement or resignation of many other admistrative people, including mental health, programming and education staffers, the department is turning away from a rehabilitative approach to a punative one.

Our legislature should take a look at what is going on in Corrections, and engage in some self-reflection on how Vermont is treating this vulnerable population — beginning with ways to incarcerate fewer people for less time.

CALL TO ACTION: Email or call your state senators and reps and tell them that you oppose increasing the number of Vermonters in an out-of-state prison. Find their contact info here.

­— Meg McCarthy.