House Committee on Corrections and Institutions

 

AGENDA

 

Room 34 and Zoom

April 11, 2023 - April 14, 2023

Last Updated 4/14/2023 3:48 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-corrections-and-institutions.

 

 

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

--                                  Caucuses and Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Medical Furlough

Defender General's perspective

Matthew Valerio, Defender General, Defender General's Office

 

1:40 PM                   Break

 

1:50 PM                   Women's Facilities Stakeholder's Proposal

Proposed language, Draft 1.2

Benjamin Novogroski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Isaac Dayno, Executive Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Department of Corrections

 

2:30 PM                   Break

 

2:45 PM                   Women's Correctional Facility

Written testimony from formerly / currently incarcerated women

Heather Newcomb, Program Manager, Justice Women's Services, Vermont Works for Women

Alison Lamagna, Director of Impact, VT Works for Women

Kathy Astemborski, Director of Women's Services, Department of Corrections

 

--                                  BEAM: Re-Entry Program for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

Vermont Works for Women / Department of Corrections pilot program

Alison Lamagna, Director of Impact, VT Works for Women

 

4:05 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

8:50 AM                   Correctional Facilities Health Services

Overview

Max Titus, Director of Health Services, Department of Corrections

Annie Ramniceanu, DOC Addiction and Mental Health Systems Director, Department of Corrections

 

10:10 AM                   Break

 

10:20 AM                   Committee Meeting

Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) program

Annie Ramniceanu, DOC Addiction and Mental Health Systems Director, Department of Corrections

 

11:00 AM                   An act relating to establishing a forensic facility

Overview of sections pertaining to beds

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Karen Barber, General Counsel, Department of Mental Health

Jennifer Fitch, Commissioner, Department of Buildings and General Services

 

11:30 AM                   Lunch Break

 

1:00 PM                   House  Floor

 

2:00 PM                   Clean Water

Municipal Pollution Control Grants

Eric Blatt, Director of Engineering, Water Investment Division, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

3:05 PM                   Women's Facilities Stakeholder's Proposal

Report from current stakeholder's group

Nicholas Deml, Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Sarah Robinson, MSW, Deputy Director, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

 

4:10 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, April 13, 2023

8:30 AM                   Prison Rape Elimination Act - PREA

Overview

Jenn Sprafke, Constituent Services Director,  PREA, Department of Corrections

 

9:45 AM                   Break

 

9:55 AM                   Department of Corrections Victim's Services

Overview

Merredith Pelkey, Director, Victim's Services, Department of Corrections

 

10:25 AM                   Break

 

10:30 AM                   H. 438 - An act relating to a working group to develop a plan to eliminate incarceration

 

--                                  H. 445 - An act relating to education and corrections infrastructure in the State

Rep. Brian Cina, Sponsor

Tiffany  Harrington, Concerned Citizen

Jayna Ahsaf, Vermont Campaign Organizer, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls

Opeyemi Parham, M.D., Concerned Citizen

 

11:50 AM                   ARPA Funds

Obligated and Spent

Dan Dickerson, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

Rebecca Wasserman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:20 PM                   Lunch Break

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

2:00 PM                   An act relating to miscellaneous environmental conservation subjects

Walk-through of Sections 5-7

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:00 PM                   An act relating to a report on criminal justice-related investments and trends

Proposed amendment for S.14

Rep. Brian Cina, Sponsor

Jayna Ahsaf, Vermont Campaign Organizer, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls

Benjamin Novogroski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, April 14, 2023

9:30 AM                   House  Floor

 

10:35 AM                   Women's Correctional Facilities

Letter to Department of Corrections re. Women's Correctional Facilities Replacement Stakeholder's Group

Benjamin Novogroski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Sarah Robinson, MSW, Deputy Director, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

 

11:10 AM                   Break

 

11:35 AM                   Women's Correctional Facilities

Letter to Department of Corrections re. Women's Correctional Facilities Replacement Stakeholder's Group

Benjamin Novogroski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Sarah Robinson, MSW, Deputy Director, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

 

11:45 AM                   Adjourn

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Phil Petty at ppetty@leg.state.vt.us