Vermont Department of Corrections
The Vermont Department of Corrections is an executive agency of the U.S. state of Vermont charged with overseeing correctional facilities, supervising probation and parolees, and serving in an advisory capacity in the prevention of crime and juvenile delinquency. It is a part of the Vermont Agency of Human Services.
The agency is headquartered at the Waterbury State Office Complex in Waterbury.
Jim Baker was named interim Commissioner of the Department of Corrections at the end of December 2019 by Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. Micharl Touchette, the pervious commissioner, stepped down in December 2019 amidst allegations of misconduct by corrections staff.
State prison facilities
As of 2018 the Department of Corrections manages the operations of six prison facilities within the state. There were 2,202 prisoners in the system in 2007.| Name | Location | Prisoners | Gender |
| Northern State Correctional Facility | Newport | ||
| Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility | South Burlington | ||
| Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility | Rutland | ||
| Northeast Regional Correctional Facility | St. Johnsbury | ||
| Northwest State Correctional Facility | Swanton | ||
| Southern State Correctional Facility | Springfield |
The State of Vermont's former Dale Women's Facility in Waterbury closed in early 2009. State officials were considering closing its Caledonia Community Work Camp in St. Johnsbury, adjacent to the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility, in March 2016 because of underpopulation.
While security is handled by state employees, services, such as health services, have been contracted out. There are 600 corrections officers.
Vermont contracted with Corrections Corporation of America to house inmates in out-of-state private prisons beginning in the mid-1990s, and has continued the practice. About 500 prisoners are held outside the state of Vermont. These prisoners cost half as much as the prisoners in state because of the economies of scale in larger prisons, and because only healthy prisoners are exported.
In the past, Vermont had prisoners at the Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville, Kentucky , and at the Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona, both CCA properties. The State of Vermont also formally contracted with the GEO Group and transferred out-of-state prisoners to the North Lake Correctional Facility in Michigan.
The State of Vermont now contracts with CoreCivic to house inmates out of state at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi.
Probation and parole offices
There are 13 community-based probation and parole offices throughout Vermont. These are under the administrative jurisdiction of the department. The offices are located in Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Chelsea, Hartford, Middlebury, Morrisville, Newport, Rutland, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury,and Springfield.