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House committee questions expansion of Vermont pretrial supervision program amid mixed results and budget uncertainty
Summary
Lawmakers probed whether to continue, redesign, or redirect funding for Vermonts pretrial supervision program after witnesses described a small pilot, constitutional limits on mandating pretrial treatment, and confusing budget figures that members said need clarification in budget hearings.
The House Corrections & Institutions Committee on Feb. 11 took up the future of Vermonts pretrial supervision program, questioning whether the Department of Corrections (DOC) should expand the pilot statewide, redesign the model, or channel money into the short-term "accountability court" approach that resolved hundreds of dockets in Chittenden County.
Kim McManus, legislative attorney for the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, told the committee she prepared a basic flowchart to help members understand how defendants move from arrest to arraignment and either to community supervision or detention. McManus said a central policy choice is whom the program should serve: higher-risk defendants who would otherwise be detained and need intensive supervision, or lower-risk people who are not detained but lack supports to appear in court.
"Are we looking for this program to serve high risk defendants who would otherwise be detained, or lower risk people who need wraparound services?" McManus asked, arguing the two…
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