The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
(Cite as: 28 V.S.A. § 124)
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§ 124. Department of Corrections; Corrections Investigative Unit
(a) Creation. There is created the Corrections Investigative Unit (CIU) within the Department. The
CIU shall investigate the following topics to comply with federal law and to identify
systemic issues within the Department:
(1) allegations of violations of the Prison Rape Elimination Act;
(2) major events that occur in the Department, including the death of an individual in
the custody of the Department or the escape of an individual from a facility or the
custody of Department staff;
(3) Department compliance with policies, procedures, and directives;
(4) the movement of contraband in facilities; and
(5) threats against the personal safety of Department employees and individuals in the
custody of the Department.
(b) Staff. The Commissioner of Corrections shall appoint and employ sufficient staff and adopt
the necessary procedures for the CIU to carry out the duties required under this section.
(c) Coordination. The CIU shall coordinate with outside investigative agencies and law enforcement agencies
concerning criminal allegations and shall coordinate with a designated point of contact
at the Department of Human Resources on employee misconduct investigations and disciplinary
actions. The CIU shall conduct personal safety planning as necessary for employees
who receive threats.
(d) Employee rights.
(1) An employee who is subject to questioning or investigation by the CIU shall be entitled
to all procedural and substantive rights afforded to the employee by State and federal
law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement or employment contract, including
any contractual rights that apply to proceedings or investigations that may result
in an adverse employment action.
(2) Information gathered by the CIU in the course of an investigation shall be subject
to discovery pursuant to the applicable rules of the Vermont Labor Relations Board
or a court of competent jurisdiction, as appropriate.
(e) Collective bargaining. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the right of the State and the
employee organization to collectively bargain with respect to matters related to investigations
and employee discipline that are not otherwise controlled by statute. (Added 2021, No. 56, § 5.)