Chicago Beyond presents 'holistic safety' plan as Vermont DOC revises visitation and disciplinary policies

Dr. Nika Jones Tapia, managing director of justice initiatives at the nonprofit Chicago Beyond, told the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions on May 1 that the group’s “holistic safety” framework has helped the Vermont Department of Corrections rethink safety by reducing physical, emotional and interpersonal isolation for both staff and people who are incarcerated.

Tapia, a clinical psychologist who served as chief psychologist and later warden at the Cook County Jail, said the framework centers administrators, staff and incarcerated people collaborating to identify needs rather than responding only through stricter controls. “By giving people what they say they need in order to be well, we reintroduce people to themselves,” Tapia said, arguing that the approach reduces the “us versus them” dynamics that underlie dehumanization and violence.

The presentation listed several concrete changes Vermont has pursued since Chicago Beyond began working with the department in March 2024, including reclassifying some disciplinary infractions as clinical matters, removing COVID-era barriers in visitation rooms after focus groups, creating a division of engagement, health and wellness, and expanding staff wellness programming and reentry simulations.

Tapia cited research and observations about trauma and occupational stress in corrections: “The prevalence of trauma and PTSD in correctional officers surpasses that of law enforcement on the street, and it surpasses that of combat military,” she said, describing high exposure to violence among both staff and incarcerated people.

Committee members pressed for measurable outcomes. A committee member who spoke during questioning urged the collection of quantitative and qualitative indicators — such as counts of people in restrictive housing, incident and use-of-force data, visitation rates and staff surveys — to show whether the reforms are lowering tensions and incidents. Tapia agreed, saying those data points would be “illustrative of the work” and encouraged the committee to request them from the department.

Haley Summer, director of communications for the Vermont Department of Corrections, told the committee the earned-time system and removal of earned time requires a documented disciplinary report and that the department’s process is outlined in policy. “The way that earn time works … is outlined in our policy,” Summer said, identifying Policy 4-10 as the disciplinary policy the department is reviewing and updating.

Members raised concerns about sustainability after Chicago Beyond’s formal, more intensive engagement ends in September. Tapia said the organization’s goal is not to be the enduring expert in Vermont but to help the department institutionalize the changes in policy, training and internal ownership so the practices survive leadership turnover. She recommended that the committee periodically ask the department for updates on finalized policies, data on outcomes, and how staff and incarcerated people are being engaged.

Tapia also directed the committee to additional external experts for matters outside Chicago Beyond’s corrections-focused remit (for example, forensic competency-restoration settings) and said Chicago Beyond will present related work at a legislative summit this summer.

The committee did not take formal votes during this session. Members said they plan follow-ups including requesting outcome data, and Chair Emmons indicated the committee may invite Chicago Beyond to brief other oversight panels before the partnership winds down in September.