House Committee on Corrections and Institutions

 

AGENDA

 

Room 34 and Zoom

February 3, 2026 - February 6, 2026

Last Updated 2/4/2026 1:28 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-corrections-and-institutions.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         Lunch and Caucuses

 

1:00 PM                   H. 540 - An act relating to the recommendations of the Post-Adjudication Reparative Program Working Group

Vote

 

1:05 PM                   H. 550 - An act relating to gender equity within Vermont’s correctional facilities

Witness Testimony

Kalanni April Gagne, Formerly Incarcerated, Burlington Resident

 

2:35 PM                   Break

 

2:40 PM                   Incarceration Experience

Chris Willars, The Life Unit

 

3:30 PM                   H. 559 - An act relating to the Parole Board

Policy Layout

Hillary Chutter-Ames, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Mary Jane Ainsworth, Director, Parole Board

 

4:30 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

8:40 AM                   Capital Budget Adjustment

Sections 4 and 5

Laura Trieschmann, State Historic Preservation Officer, Department of Housing and Community Development

Jamie Duggan, Director of Preservation, State Historic Sites, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

 

9:30 AM                   Capital Budget Adjustment

Section 8 - Vermont State Colleges

Sharron Scott, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Vermont State Colleges System

Mike Stevens, Assistant Vice President of Campus Operations, Vermont State University

Caitlin Corkins, Tax Credit and Grants Coordinator, Department of Housing and Community Development

 

10:35 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   H. 635 - An act relating to eliminating Department of Corrections supervisory fees

Continued testimony

Kristin Calver, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections

 

11:20 AM                   H. 50 - An act relating to identifying underutilized State buildings and land

Draft language, Vote

Jon Gray, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:10 PM                   Vermont Crime Data

Monica Weeber, Executive Director, Crime Research Group

Robin Joy, JD, PhD, Director of Research, Crime Research Group

 

2:30 PM                   H. 252 - An act relating to prohibiting earned time for second or subsequent felony convictions

Introduction

Rep. Christopher "Chris" Pritchard, Representative

 

2:40 PM                   Committee Discussion

Subcommittee time

 

3:00 PM                   Correctional Facilities

Wifi update

Kristin Calver, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Travis Denton, Chief of Operations, Department of Corrections

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

4:30 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, February 5, 2026

8:30 AM                   Waterbury Dam

Spillway Project

Neil Kamman, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation

Ben Green, Dam Safety Program Manager, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

9:30 AM                   TBD

 

10:15 AM                   Capital Budget Adjustment

Section 10 - Agricultural and Land Conservation Water Quality Projects

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

 

11:00 AM                   H. 294 - An act relating to commissary and telecommunications prices in State correctional facilities and fair compensation for incarcerated labor

Witness Testimony - DOC and Prison Policy Initiative

Kristin Calver, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Sarah Staudt, Director of Advocacy, Prison Policy Initiative

Aleks Kajstura, Senior Policy and Advocacy Analyst, Prison Policy Initiative

Emmett Sanders, Policy and Advocacy Associate, Prison Policy Initiative

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Capital Budget Adjustment

Sections 9 and 10 - DWSRF, CWSRF, and municipal pollution control grants

Emily Bird, Program Manager, Clean Water Initiative, Department of Environmental Conservation

Padraic Monks, Manager, Water Infrastructure Finance and Loan Program, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

2:00 PM                   Capital Budget Adjustment

Section 9 - Fish and Wildlife

Andrea Shortsleeve, Chief of Operations, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Eric Palmer, Fish Division Director, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Dylan Sickles, Fish Culture Operations Manager, Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

2:45 PM                   H. 559 - An act relating to the Parole Board

Draft language

Hillary Chutter-Ames, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

4:30 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, February 6, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

After Floor                         TBD

 

11:30 AM                   Lunch

 

12:00 PM                   H. 294 - An act relating to commissary and telecommunications prices in State correctional facilities and fair compensation for incarcerated labor

Witness Testimony - UVM

Skye Whalen, University of Vermont

Kevin McGreal, University of Vermont

Theodore Sternberg, University of Vermont

 

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.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Tate Mullin at Tate.Mullin@vtleg.gov