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.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman