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Vermont sheriffs, state officials tell House committee prison transports are understaffed and costly
Summary
State transport deputies and county sheriffs told the House Corrections and Institutions Committee Jan. 27 that long drives, frequent last‑minute moves and a shrinking per‑diem pool have made prisoner transports costly and logistically complex; officials urged block scheduling and modest budget fixes while noting structural limits.
Tim Lidders Dumont, executive director of the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, told the House Corrections and Institutions Committee on Jan. 27 that prisoner transports have become a costly, resource‑heavy operation driven by court schedules, facility locations and medical needs. “Weare at 75% for this fiscal year for overtime,” Lidders Dumont said, summarizing the immediate budget pressure.
Law enforcement officers and sheriffs described a system where long travel times, unexpected detainee moves and court scheduling decisions force deputies into extended shifts. Lidders Dumont said the transport program has 25 full‑time positions, with several vacancies, and that the unit handled roughly 4,035 transports in the last reported fiscal year. “If you do the math, 600 detainees, 21 people on the roads, That's a ton of…
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