UVM and Vermont DOC outline expansion of five‑year prison survey project after pilot at Southern State

University of Vermont researchers and Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) officials on Thursday described results from a five‑year pilot survey at Southern State Correctional Facility and said they plan to expand the Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN) survey process to all state prisons.

The presentation, led by Abigail Crocker of the University of Vermont and Anthony Giordano, volunteer coordinator at Southern State Correctional Facility, summarized three survey waves that began with a pilot launch in January 2020 and highlighted areas for further investigation including medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), reentry readiness, health care access, commissary pricing and idle time for incarcerated people.

The PRIN pilot grew from an Urban Institute grant and paired independent researchers at UVM with a single pilot prison. Crocker said the surveys were developed through focus groups and interviews with staff and incarcerated people and that each survey contains roughly 150 questions. She told the committee the project used a community‑engaged approach intended to center the lived experience of people inside the facility and staff in survey design and analysis.

"We created the surveys so we could identify issues and then partner with the Department of Corrections who would really take the lead in using that data to make change," Crocker said.

Why it matters: Committee members and DOC leaders said the data give a shared evidence base for facility‑level and policy decisions. The surveys produced high participation rates, offered multiyear trend data and prompted facility initiatives such as an honors unit and a staff‑run coffee program that officials described as…