Vermont DOC officials describe how beds are used as facilities run near capacity

House Corrections and Institutions Committee Chair presiding Wednesday heard a detailed briefing from Vermont Department of Corrections staff on how the department counts and uses beds across state correctional facilities, which specialty beds exist, and how intake and temporary placements (including ICE and U.S. Marshals detainees and out‑of‑state transfers) are handled.

The briefing, led by Jordan Pasha, director of classification for the Vermont Department of Corrections, explained that the department tracks multiple bed categories—medical, mental‑health specialty, risk‑intervention services, honors dorms, restrictive housing/close custody, protective custody, work camp beds and admissions/booking beds—and that not every facility contains every category. "These are the different ways that the department utilizes the beds that are available to us," Pasha said, noting facility‑by‑facility differences and that the presentation's counts reflected occupancy as of 6:30 a.m. the same day.

Why it matters: committee members pressed that public discussion of "bed counts" can mislead unless the differences among bed types, intake booking, specialty housing and custody designations are clear. Committee members and DOC staff emphasized that custody placement is driven principally by behavior and classification assessments after intake—not solely by the crime of conviction.

DOC staff summarized facility‑level counts and operational practices. Highlights included:

- Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (female facility, South Burlington): 174 total beds, 133 occupied; general population 96 beds (94 occupied); one honors dorm (22 beds, 14 occupied); mental‑health specialty unit (12 beds, 7 occupied); segregation unit (15 beds, 4 occupied); a five‑bed infirmary (empty as of the morning reported). Pasha said two cells (eight beds) in House 1 are set aside for ICE detainees when needed; DOC reported an average occupancy for ICE beds of about 3–5 individuals, five on the morning of the briefing.

- Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility (Rutland): listed as 128 total beds with a headcount of 142 that morning (Marble Valley was over its nominal total); 115 general population beds with 128 individuals in general population; eight segregation beds with 10 individuals reported in segregation; a special housing unit that can be used for juvenile sight‑and‑sound orders if required.

- Northeast Correctional Complex (St. Johnsbury): 127 total beds with 123 occupied; general population counted 115 beds with 117 individuals; 56‑bed work camp had 29 occupants.

- Northern State Correctional Facility (Newport): 423 total beds with 413 occupied; general population observed at 402 beds with 394 individuals; segregation at capacity and post‑custody unit full; three‑bed infirmary with one occupant.

- Northwest State Correctional Facility (St. Albans): 195 total beds with 193 occupied; 130 general population beds (118 occupied); DOC identified Northwest as the primary facility for male ICE detainees; the facility reported no infirmary beds and DOC explained infirmary services are provided at other nearby facilities.

- Southern State Correctional Facility (Springfield): 321 total beds with 287 occupied; general population full at 150 individuals; honors unit (capacity 50, 29 occupied); infirmary nine beds (full); 36‑bed mental‑health specialty unit (32 occupied); a 28‑bed medical step‑down unit with six occupants.

DOC described intake and classification steps: booking areas exist at all facilities; new arrivals receive medical and suicide‑risk screenings, PREA screening and classification that includes a point system (Conviction/Violation Summary, CVS) assessing charges, disciplinary history and other risk indicators. "We do an assessment called the CVS... it's a point system," Pasha said. Staff said classification and documented behavior while incarcerated, not the underlying offense alone, drive unit assignment and custody level over time.

On overflow and temporary housing: DOC said it may use segregation or "sled beds" (a plastic sled‑style mattress on the floor raised about six inches) sparingly when general population is full. DOC also maintains two turnkey emergency housing spaces (one at Northern and one at Southern) that can be used for short‑term surges and still relies on out‑of‑state beds under contract when renovations or sustained capacity shortfalls require it. Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi currently held 117 Vermont men under contract; the contract capacity is up to 300.

On federal detainees and reimbursement: DOC maintains an MOU with ICE for ICE detainees (no fixed bed cap in the MOU, DOC said) and a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service that allows for up to 60 Marshal detainee beds — most held at Northwest, Marble Valley, or Southern because of federal court proximity. DOC reported a per‑diem reimbursement (as discussed in the briefing) of roughly $130 per day for U.S. Marshals detainees and an $180 per‑diem for other federal detainee reimbursements; staff said those reimbursements go to the state general fund rather than directly to DOC.

Special populations and services: DOC staff noted language, medical and translation needs for non‑English speakers (including some detainees picked up inside the country and not only those who crossed the border); staff reported particular pressure on healthcare and clothing needs for some border‑crossing detainees. DOC contracts with WellPath (a private provider) for medical services; DOC staff said medical staff are present at every facility though not every site maintains an infirmary bed bank.

Committee direction and data request: Committee members asked DOC to provide the committee clerk with a consolidated total of in‑state bed counts (excluding out‑of‑state placements) and a breakdown of how many beds are designated specialty housing, booking, infirmary, and general population so members can calculate flexible capacity. "If you could just send to Phil the total number of beds we have in the system, excluding the out of state beds," a committee member requested.

Ending note: DOC staff and committee members said they expect the bed‑use discussion to feed next session's planning about facilities and reentry housing, and both sides emphasized the operational distinctions among bed types when evaluating capacity and public expectations.