Committee reports mixed conditions at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility after site visit
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Summary
Committee members described a March 27 site visit to the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, noting modernized visitation and crisis rooms but persistent infrastructure shortfalls and staff challenges; members asked for a fuller briefing from Department of Corrections and to fold corrections conversations into upcoming capital bill work.
Senator Joe Major and other members of the Senate Committee on Institutions reported on a committee visit to the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, describing the facility as in need of significant upgrades but staffed by dedicated employees.
“we should say that we've what we saw with the staff is a dedicated, caring group. We're doing as best they can, and they're doing a great job for what they have there,” Senator Joe Major said during the committee meeting, reflecting the committee’s view of facility staff after the visit.
Committee members said they toured multiple housing units, a specialized area for visits with children, a modernized room for people experiencing acute mental‑health crises, and an “Honors Unit” that committee members called a positive feature. At the same time, members described the facility overall as “not supportive of good health, mental health or physical health” and raised concerns about infrastructure and staffing needs.
Major and others pointed to basic operational shortfalls such as limited Wi‑Fi for staff and operational tasks, and described conditions that make day‑to‑day work harder for corrections staff. He framed the deficiencies as partly fiscal and partly human‑rights and staffing issues: “In the borderline, a human rights, issue,” he said, adding that staffing and environment contribute to worker stress.
Committee members said they want a fuller conversation with Department of Corrections (DOC) leadership before making decisions and plan to include corrections facilities in the committee’s upcoming capital bill work. The committee agreed to seek DOC participation at a future meeting and to schedule additional site visits; members noted they will also review food and other operational details during follow‑up visits.
The committee did not take a formal vote or adopt policy during the session recorded in the transcript; members said they will coordinate timing for DOC briefings and follow‑up facility visits next week in coordination with capital bill hearings.