State officials outline site, design and funding steps for replacement women’s correctional and reentry center

State officials told the Corrections & Institutions Committee that the state must replace the aging Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) in South Burlington and that two state-owned sites are the leading candidates for a new women’s correctional and reentry center.

"We have over $5,000,000 in deferred maintenance, and we have over $5,000,000 in scheduled capital maintenance over the next 10 years," Wanda Manoli, Commissioner of Buildings and General Services, said during the committee briefing, describing the existing building’s age and physical limitations.

The briefing summarized a multi-year effort to align corrections policy and reentry programming with the physical facility. Nick Demel, Commissioner of Corrections, said the current CRCF — built in 1974 with a 1983 addition, on about six acres in South Burlington and now housing 77 beds under a water/sewer agreement with the city — no longer supports modern reentry or programming space and staff needs. "This is where policy and the physical infrastructure collide with each other," Demel said.

Why it matters: committee members and agency leaders described the replacement as necessary to provide private medical and mental-health space, substance-use and education programming, and safer housing. Officials said the state has appropriated $16 million so far to advance site studies and preliminary design; additional funding and permitting will be needed for full construction.

Key details and timeline

- Deferred maintenance and near-term capital needs: agencies reported more than $5 million in deferred maintenance plus more than $5 million in scheduled capital maintenance over the next decade for the existing CRCF. The facility’s design, limited daylight, shared dormitory-style living spaces and constrained medical and program space were cited repeatedly as barriers to rehabilitation-focused programming.

- Capacity and census: CRCF’s current licensed capacity is reported as 77 beds under interlocal limits with South Burlington; officials said the daily census has recently risen (one figure cited was 127 women in the system on the day of the briefing) and that the women’s population has increased relative to the recent historical average.

- Funding to date: Manoli told the committee that "you've appropriated $16,000,000 to date for this project." Agency staff said much of the appropriated capital remains available for design, site analysis and procurement; they also noted a FY2022 allotment of $1,000,000 with encumbrances referenced in committee documents (specific remaining balances were described by a committee member as "noted" and characterized as subject to verification).

- Site selection: agencies reported a statewide screen that initially considered dozens of properties and used committee-directed criteria (proximity to employment, public transit, family connections, and minimizing staff relocation). That screening narrowed to four candidate sites and then to two preferred state-owned parcels, both owned by the Agency of Transportation (AOT). One preferred parcel is a former corridor property with about 50 acres in AOT ownership and roughly 13 developable acres identified in the presentation; the other is a steeper parcel off River Road in Essex. Officials said the AOT-owned parcels could speed delivery and reduce purchase costs but noted potential federal encumbrances on some AOT land that may require repayment or other actions.

- Permitting and local engagement: the agencies have begun municipal outreach. Officials described an overlay/permitting request filed with the town of Essex; planning staff asked for clarifications and planned further review. Agencies said public meetings and ongoing stakeholder work are expected as the project advances.

- Design approach: the General Assembly’s Act 69 of 2023 and committee direction require incorporation of evidence-based, trauma-informed design principles into the replacement facility. Demel and others discussed the goal of a "secure but softer" environment and described Maine’s co-located secure and reentry model as a reference point, while cautioning the state will develop a Vermont-specific design. Al Foreman, Chief of Operations for DOC, described operational adjustments under consideration, such as ligature-resistant fixtures, to reduce self-harm risks.

- Schedule estimate: agencies said, if permitting, financing and design proceed without major delays, a completed building could be three to five years out from the point of full funding and permit approvals; officials emphasized the agencies are proceeding stepwise and will return to the legislature as schematic design and funding decisions are finalized.

Discussion highlights and concerns

Committee members and advocates raised several recurring concerns: whether a trauma-informed facility can meaningfully reduce incarceration harms; how detainees and sentenced populations will be assigned between secure and reentry sides (Vermont currently houses both sentenced and detained women in state facilities, unlike some states); potential town and neighborhood impacts; and how the current CRCF site might be reused if the state moves. One committee member warned against using marketing imagery in presentations that could be perceived as out of touch with conditions in the existing facility.

Formal actions

No formal vote or site selection was announced during the briefing. Agencies said they have authority to continue site evaluation and that the legislature previously appropriated capital funds; staff said any further design or construction funding would come back to the legislature for approval. A detailed study on possible reuses for the existing CRCF site is due to the committee in December 2025, agency staff said.

What’s next

Agencies will continue stakeholder engagement, municipal permitting steps where requested, and schematic planning if the local and legislative steps permit. Officials said they will provide the committee with more detailed cash-flow and line-item figures as they refine cost estimates and that the project timeline and funding requests could change during the next budget cycle.

Ending

Committee members agreed to keep close oversight of design decisions — several members said they expect regular briefings on schematic plans and on how evidence-based and trauma-informed principles are being applied — and agencies told the committee they will return with updated financial details and community outreach plans as the process advances.