Corrections committee clears language to notify opted-in victims about earned time, adds short-lived victim-notification task force to S.109 draft

Montpelier — The House Corrections and Institutions Committee on April 30 reviewed proposed language for Senate Bill 109 that would explicitly allow crime victims who opt in to receive periodic notice when an incarcerated person earns time off a sentence and would create a short-term task force to study and recommend improvements to Vermont’s victim-notification system.

The additions to S.109 would add victims who have opted to receive updates to the current 90-day notification cycle for earned-time reductions and establish a six-member victim-notification task force charged with studying accessibility, trauma-informed communications, expanded automated-notification use and training needs. Committee staff were directed to present clarified language to House Judiciary as the bill moves forward.

The earned-time provision would not change how earned time is calculated, committee staff said. Eric Fitzpatrick, legislative counsel, told members that the amendment “doesn't actually make any changes to that underlying system, and it instead addresses the ... notification requirements.” Under existing law the Department of Corrections must notify victims of the earned-time program and offer an opt-in for updates; the proposed change would make clear victims who opt in receive the same periodic (every 90 days) notice the offender receives when earned time reduces a scheduled release date.

Committee members pressed for precision about what date(s) would be provided to victims. Several legislators asked whether the bill should use “date” (singular) rather than “dates,” noting that an offender’s earliest release date is a single value at any given time even though it can change if additional earned time is awarded. Hailey and Josh (DOC staff identified in committee discussion) were asked to confirm how DOC calculates and updates release dates; committee members requested a DOC clarification to ensure statutory language aligned with operational practice.

The task force language in section 31 would create a six-member panel including the commissioner of corrections or designee; the executive director of the Center for Crime Victim Services; the executive director of the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs or designee; a Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence appointee; the victim services director of the state police; and two victims or survivors appointed by the Center for Crime Victim Services. The bill text would require the group to study Vermont’s victim-notification processes, examine the use of automated notifications, ensure communications are trauma-informed, and report recommendations to the House Corrections Committee and relevant Senate and House judiciary committees by Nov. 15, 2025. The task force would expire in February 2026 under the draft language presented to the committee.

Members raised technology and implementation concerns tied to the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system used to deliver automated notices. Several committee members urged either adding a designated technical representative or explicitly requiring that the commissioner’s designee be familiar with VINE’s technical capabilities so the task force can evaluate whether the system can deliver the notifications the committee seeks. Fitzpatrick and others agreed to add language allowing the commissioner to appoint a designee “who is familiar with the capability and technical operations of the VINE system” or to otherwise ensure technical expertise is available to the group.

Committee discussion also focused on operational steps beyond statute: members said the information flow that populates VINE often breaks down between law enforcement, state’s attorneys and DOC, and they discussed a separate, near-term plan for state’s attorneys’ offices to begin entering needed victim data into VINE. Tim Dumont (state's attorneys and sheriffs coordination, as identified in committee remarks) and other local practitioners are scheduled to meet with the working group in early May to address those entry and workflow problems.

No formal vote was taken in committee on the S.109 language during the April 30 meeting. Committee members agreed unanimously in principle to seek minor edits — chiefly switching “dates” to the singular “date” where appropriate and adding language about technical expertise on VINE — and directed Eric Fitzpatrick and Representative Emmons to present those clarifications to House Judiciary and to House leadership as the bill moves forward.

Why it matters: The changes would expand information access for victims who choose to receive updates about an incarcerated person’s changing earliest release date and create a short-term, multiagency study to make Vermont’s victim-notification process more reliable and trauma-informed. Committee members flagged that the practical effect depends on correcting dataflow and technical capacity in VINE and getting buy-in from state’s attorneys’ offices to enter consistent victim information.

What’s next: Committee staff will request DOC clarification on how release dates are calculated and will present the committee’s recommended drafting changes to House Judiciary and bill managers. The task force, if enacted as drafted, must report back to the legislature by Nov. 15, 2025.