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.