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Vermont DOC Tells Appropriations It Is Overcapacity, Seeks Budget Adjustments

Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee · January 13, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Interim Commissioner John Murad told the Senate Appropriations Committee the Department of Corrections is at or above capacity in several facilities and presented Budget Adjustment Act requests to cover contracts, transport, hotel costs and heat-mitigation supplies; DOC also described plans for a new women's facility and use of out-of-state placements.

John Murad, interim commissioner of the Vermont Department of Corrections, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Jan. 13 that the department is at or above capacity in several facilities and presented a package of Budget Adjustment Act requests to cover contract costs, staff hoteling, and heat-mitigation supplies.

"We are overcapacity in some of our facilities, and, overall, we are at capacity or above capacity already," Murad said. He told senators the department is holding about 1,650 people incarcerated or detained statewide, including roughly 150 people held out of state under contract, and supervises about 4,500 people in the community.

Marlene Petit, executive director of finance for DOC, walked the committee through BAA line items. Notable requests include an $83,000 increase tied to…

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