Secretary of Human Services Al Gobeille didn’t specify exact issues with the current arrangement, but he said Vermont officials aren’t happy with how it’s working. Officials plan to solicit proposals for a new deal.
“I think that issuing [a request for proposals] is an indication that we’re looking for something different than what we have,” Gobeille said. “We’re in the process of doing that. It has not been issued yet.”
Due to a shortage of available space in Vermont’s prison system, the state sends more than 200 inmates to out-of-state facilities. In June 2017, those Vermont inmates were transferred from a private prison in Michigan to a Pennsylvania state prison in Camp Hill.
“So the folks from Vermont are treated like they’re from Pennsylvania” under the deal, Gobeille said. “We want to have some different things that are sort of Vermont desires that we would want to put in a contract, and we won’t be satisfied if we can’t have that.”
Three Vermont inmates have died during or after their stays at Camp Hill, though Gobeille said those deaths aren’t specifically motivating the potential change. Vermont Defender General Matt Valerio has also said that Pennsylvania officials are limiting access to Vermont inmates. The inmates themselves have reported threats of violence from guards and threats of retribution if they report any mistreatment.
Under the state’s existing three-year agreement with Pennsylvania, Gobeille said Vermont can remove its inmates from the state’s prisons with six months notice. The new request for proposals won’t rule out Pennsylvania as the future home of Vermont inmates, but Gobeille said the details of the agreement have to change.
“We want a better contract,” Gobeille said, “so it could be with them or it could be with another entity.”
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Bring Vermont prisoners home!
If the governor pardons low level offenders who:
* Are currently incarnated for past drug crimes that are no longer illegal
* Are old or infirm and are low risk
* Are low risk, have served the majority of their time, and have clean records while incarnated
Vermont will have room in its current prison system to House its own inmates, wont have to pay the expense of shipping inmates out of state, wont have to pay the expense of housing inmates who should no longer be incarnated.
It’s an outright betrayal that we ever sent Vermonters out of state. Also, it’s a lie that we ever saved money. The Governor and Secretary of Health and Humans Services (and prisons) can skew the numbers any which way to please the lobbyist from Corecivic.
Vermont inmates should be housed in VT. Inmates are most likely to reduce their rate of re-offense when they are able to maintain close relationships with their families and close support people. Tax payers are going to continue to pay for full prisons anyway, the beds should be used to house Vermonters who will be returning to their communities. I agree with the person whose comment is above; release infirm and low risk offenders whose crimes pose little or no risk to anyone else.
Scott wants to build a private prison in VT. That is what this is about. They dont care about inmates.