Senate Institutions hears overview of Act 159 changes to corrections law, including 28‑day reentry medication supply

Ben Novogrowski, legislative counsel, told the Senate Institutions Committee on Jan. 24 that Act 159 (H.876 of the 2024 session) made a mix of technical and substantive changes to Vermont’s corrections statutes, including new reentry requirements for sentenced offenders.

"If there was a prescription medication that was being taken while the person was incarcerated, and that prescription is both available at the facility and continues to be clinically appropriate at the time of discharge, the department or its contractor is obligated to provide not less than a 28‑day supply of that medication upon release if possible," Novogrowski said. He also described obligations to provide a bridge prescription and to schedule an intake appointment with a community health or substance‑use provider.

The changes apply to "offenders" as that defined term is used in statute (a narrower group than the more inclusive term "inmates," which can include pretrial detainees). Novogrowski emphasized that the Department of Corrections (DOC) does not deliver clinical services directly; the department contracts with a third‑party provider —…