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Union warns Vermont corrections vacancies doubled in 2024; offers bargaining and policy steps to ease crisis
Summary
Steve Howard of the Vermont State Employees Association told the oversight committee DOC correctional officer vacancies rose from 40 to 81 between March and November 2024 and urged the governor and commissioner to bargain pay/benefits; he also proposed childcare, manager deployments to front lines, retirement alignment and weekly oversight hearings as remedies.
The Vermont State Employees Association told the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee that staffing shortages in the Department of Corrections have deepened and are creating unsafe working conditions at multiple facilities.
"The total number of vacancies, among COs has doubled from 40 to 81, during that time," Steve Howard, VSEA executive director, said, citing Department of Human Resources data from March to November 2024. Howard said Southern State Correctional Facility had a roughly 41% vacancy rate and…
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