Pubdate: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 Source: Burlington Free Press (VT) Copyright: 2006 Burlington Free Press Contact: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/632 COMMUNITIES NEED HELP WITH OFFENDER SERVICES There are about 10,000 offenders under the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections living in communities on programs such as furlough, parole and probation. That high count is driven in part by economics -- it's cheaper than keeping an offender in jail. When it works best, these offenders rebuild their lives, find self-supporting employment, and essentially move off the taxpayer dime. Their presence in communities, however, puts a strain on law enforcement and other services. This has led to growing tension between the state and community officials who struggle over the need to monitor these offenders for public safety reasons and cover some of the cost of that oversight. Few communities in Vermont are exempt from this challenge. Looking at probations alone, St. Albans City had 129 names in the Tuesday Corrections Department report; Milton had 141; Essex had 155; Colchester had 149; Burlington had 610; Winooski had 157; Williston had 50, and South Burlington had 132. The issue flared recently in Barre when Mayor Thomas Lauzon sent the state a $2,500 bill to cover the cost of having police perform alcohol tests and other court-ordered services on these offenders. Lauzon threatened to halt these police duties unless the state paid. Fortunately, Lauzon and state officials have agreed to work together to find a solution. That's the way this process should work. Talks between state and community officials, through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, are under way. The Corrections Department is not blind to these challenges. Two things are almost certain. The need for solutions will only grow as more nonviolent offenders serve their sentences on the streets; and the state's lean budget cannot support costly fixes. One of the issues that should be discussed is ensuring the state provides enough trained personnel throughout the state to monitor offenders. Local police departments are usually too busy to take on this task in any significant way. Another problem is a shortage of transitional housing for these offenders near public transportation, drug and alcohol counseling services, courts, and other services often needed by this population. Public input is also critical because no solution will work if residents worry about their safety. A pilot project using electronic devices to monitor the whereabouts of 100 inmates for up to two years might offer affordable tracking options for communities if successful. For now, the discussion needs to focus on the financial and individual importance of keeping non-violent offenders out of jail whenever appropriate, and ensure they are well supervised in a manner that taxpayers can afford.On the Web To find out how many offenders are living in your community on probation, parole, re-entry or furlough, visit the Corrections Department Web site at www.doc.state.vt.us/web/townstatus.html. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman