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Formerly incarcerated Vermonters tell Institutions Committee releases often leave people without IDs, prescriptions or housing support
Summary
Witnesses told the committee they were frequently released without state ID, lacked a full prescription supply or pharmacy transfer, and faced difficulties accessing food stamps, housing and jobs; community reentry providers said local programs fill gaps but implementation is inconsistent.
Alice Evans, chair of the Institutions Committee, convened the April 28 hearing to hear firsthand accounts from people who had recently been incarcerated and from community reentry providers. Several witnesses described arriving home with little or no paperwork, short medication supplies and difficulty connecting to benefits and primary care.
Martin, a 63‑year‑old Springfield resident who said he was released to parole in June 2023, told the committee he left the jail “in a sweatsuit” and without a state ID that would let him buy food or access services. He said caseworkers helped complete some applications after release but that paperwork had not been consistently processed: “I walked out with…
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