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Judiciary Committee Weighs How to Define and Measure Recidivism as Bill H410 Moves Forward
Summary
Witnesses told the Judiciary committee that Vermont’s proposed recidivism bill, H410, could benefit from broader data elements and measures — including desistance and program participation — and urged a multi-stakeholder effort to align definitions and data systems before finalizing statute.
At a Judiciary committee hearing, members discussed bill H410 and broader options for defining and measuring recidivism in Vermont, hearing testimony that urged clearer, more granular metrics and improved data sharing across agencies.
Marshall Paul, of the Office of the Defender General, told the committee he and his office support “the concept behind H410” but asked for a multi-stakeholder effort to identify what data the judiciary, Department of Corrections (DOC) and the state’s data analysts (CRG) can provide before a statutory definition is finalized. Paul recommended adding measures that capture whether any period of incarceration — not just stays of 90 days or more — affects reoffending, noting national research that even short stays “as little as 48 hours” can increase recidivism for young people.
Paul also urged the committee to collect program and supervision data to assess whether interventions are working. Citing federal guidance, he said the National Institute of Justice recommends measuring recidivism relative to criminal-justice…
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