ESSEX, Vt. (WCAX) – A heated scene between Essex leaders and residents tonight after the town heard plans to replace Vermont’s only women’s prison with a new facility. The commission ended the meeting without public comment.
Jeers rang out from Essex residents in between the frequent scoldings from their planning commission.
A presentation from the Department of Corrections on their plans to open a new women’s facility in Essex drew a crowd of about 50 in person and virtually.
One of those Essex residents is Tara Milller.
“I don’t think this is what the people of Essex want happening in our town.” said Miller
Miller is a survivor of a crime they say changed their life forever.
“When that happened to me, I felt awful.” said Miller
In the aftermath of the crime, Miller found different ways to cope. But seeking justice through the law, and specifically prisons, felt wrong to Miller.
“I want us to be to be healing the harms for each other and not just creating more suffering.” said Miller
As a self-described advocate for transformative justice, Miller doesn’t want a prison in their neighborhood, and they’re not alone.
Other residents shared various concerns. Those include the increase in traffic the facility might bring, and the proximity to schools and residential areas. Essex residents say that their EMS and police services are already strained, and that they fear property taxes will increase because of the prison. With many Essex residents on a fixed income because of social security, they say building the prison would incite a lot more problems than they’re willing to deal with.
The new facility, which the Deparment of Corrections says would be a trauma-informed, evidence-based design, modeled off prisons in Scandinavia, would replace what Executive Director of Policy, Isaac Dayno, calls the “50-year-old”, “moldy”, “inhumane” prison for women in South Burlington.
“There are major maintenance issues, deferred maintenance. The ceiling is collapsing in places.” said Dayno
Vermonters are calling on the Department of Corrections to make changes in the way Vermont’s prisons are run. One resident told WCAX they were supportive of the new facility in general, but thought their neighborhood was just not the right place for it.
“We have a responsibility as Vermonters to invest in spaces that meet the needs of the people who are going to live there and who work there, and we haven’t done that as a state.” said Dayno
No follow up meeting was scheduled on Thursday, but the planning commision says you can find out more about this plan on their website.