MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping public safety plan that addresses bail, young offenders, and a “catch and release” system that he says is causing people to lose trust in the government.
Critics have called it the revolving door of justice — a perpetual cycle of re-offenders that is plaguing Burlington and other Vermont towns.
According to state police, 2024 was the third year in a row with more than 20 murders. Reports of aggravated assaults are up 40 percent between 2018 and 2023, and property crimes have doubled between 2018 and 2023.
Governor Phil Scott says state lawmakers need to create a culture of accountability. “Having a community that is safe is something that they expect and something we should deliver on,” Scott said Wednesday. He’s pitching a package of bills they hope will address these public safety concerns. They include turning the public safety department into a state agency; Stiffening penalties for drug dealers; Permanently repealing the “Raise the Age” law, which seeks to treat offenders up to 22 years old in family court; It would also clarify that bail can be used to hold repeat offenders who violate court orders.
“We’re in a slightly different environment now, where there’s one to two people a year — and there may be half a dozen a dozen or more — who are committing more egregious repeat violations, sometimes multiple times a day,” said the Dept. of Public Safety’s Tucker Jones.
State lawmakers spent millions last year aiming to alleviate the court backlog so offenders face their consequences sooner. Lawmakers say those reforms need more time to pay off.
But others worry more arrests and prosecutions will lead to overcrowding in understaffed jails. “It’s very likely we will be sending more people out of state to out-of-state prisons,” said Falko Schilling with the American Civil Liberties Union. He says investing in treatment, mental health, and rehab will save taxpayers money over putting more people in jail. He also says holding more people — without having their day in court — is a slippery slope. “These proposals raise some real concerns from a constitutional perspective, a policy perspective and just realizing what’s right for Vermont and that we have strong communities.”
But the governor says Vermonters are begging for action as they lose trust in the judicial branch. “John Q. public doesn’t understand what we’re doing and they think something is wrong with the system. We’re trying to address that,” he said.
Scott says the effort is the first of several omnibus packages that will also address housing, education, and affordability. We’re going to get the exact details of how those efforts will be funded in the governor’s budget address in two weeks.