Vermont oversight panel affirms Raise the Age goals but flags data, staffing and facility gaps ahead of April 1, 2025

The Justice Oversight Committee on September 18 examined Vermont’s planned expansion of the Raise the Age law, which would move 19‑year‑olds charged with non‑'big' offenses into family‑division proceedings beginning April 1, 2025, and heard competing views on whether the state is ready.

Office of Legislative Council attorney Eric Spadzik reviewed the law’s history and current schedule, noting the original act (2018) staged implementation in phases and that the legislature recently expanded the list of automatically criminal offenses (commonly called the 'big' list) from 12 to 14. Spadzik told the committee the April 1, 2025 effective date was deliberately set to limit the opportunity for further extensions and is now the statutory target absent new legislative action.

Matthew Bernstein, Child, Youth and Family Advocate, said national research suggests treating young people in age‑appropriate systems reduces recidivism and supports public safety. Bernstein urged lawmakers to prioritize DCF’s new CCWIS data system so the department can produce the age‑specific caseload numbers that implementation planning requires. "We do not have good data for Vermont, which is an issue and it goes back to the data system," Bernstein said, and recommended focused caseload analysis to show how many 19‑year‑olds would be newly served by DCF versus youth already on probation.

Department for Children and Families Commissioner Chris Peters said the administration shares the policy goal but remains concerned about impacts on workforce, community providers and facilities. Tyler Allen, DCF’s adolescent services director, told the committee a 2‑year calendar review identified 38 delinquency youthful‑offender cases involving 18‑ or 19‑year‑olds and that Department of Corrections data showed 168 raised‑the‑age convictions over two years; he emphasized the need to separate 18‑ and 19‑year‑old caseloads in planning.

Deputy Commissioner Erica Radke said DCF currently has substantial vacancies—23 openings and an additional 19 workers with under six months’ experience—and explained why the department requested additional juvenile‑justice positions even if some supervision could shift to expanded community providers. Radke described ongoing recruitment and the department’s budget planning but said the administration had not yet submitted all requested positions to the governor’s office.

Tim Leaders Dumont, representing state’s attorneys and sheriffs offices, relayed frontline input that in one larger county roughly 30 percent of delinquency cases are for people 18 and older and cautioned that community resources and juvenile slots are uneven across counties. Leaders Dumont also noted legal and operational complications—training for law enforcement, detention limits, and the risk that cases may 'age out' of family‑division jurisdiction before resolution—which can create delays and safety concerns for victims and courts.

Department of Corrections operations manager Dr. Rutherford offered a point‑in‑time custody snapshot: seven 19‑year‑olds were in DOC custody the morning of the hearing; four would remain in custody and three would not if the next Raise the Age phase were active. Rutherford also flagged racial disparities in the younger age group in custody compared with the adult prison population.

Committee members repeatedly framed the hearing as information gathering rather than a vote on delay, asking DCF to return with clearer, age‑specific caseload numbers and a breakdown of resource requests—how many additional family‑service workers, how much BAR(g)E funding and the status of secure placement projects—so the legislature can consider needed budget adjustments ahead of April 2025.

The committee directed DCF and other witnesses to provide the requested data and said it will continue oversight in subsequent hearings; no formal policy change or vote was taken at this session.