Leaders will discuss the state of Vermont’s prison system at an event sponsored by VTDigger, ACLU Vermont and the University of Vermont College of Arts and Sciences.
VTDigger is bringing together people who are working to change Vermont’s prison culture in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct and drug use by correctional officers in facilities around the state.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4
Where: Silver Maple Ballroom, Dudley H. Davis Center at UVM
Please let us know you’re coming here.
Following a keynote address from Janos Marton, the event will feature a panel discussion moderated by VTDigger’s Anne Galloway and Alan Keays.
The panelists include Ashley Messier, Jim Baker, Kathy Fox and Sarah George.
Ashley Messier is the Vermont organizer for the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. She was previously incarcerated at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility and later served as the Smart Justice organizer for ACLU of Vermont. Messier is also the executive director of Women’s Freedom and Justice Initiative. Her years of community organizing and direct experience with the criminal justice system inform her approach to advocacy.
Jim Baker is the interim commissioner of Vermont Dept. of Corrections and former Vermont State Police director. Baker worked for the State Police for more than 30 years, serving as director from 2006 to 2009. He was recently named commissioner of corrections on an interim basis following the resignation of former corrections commissioner Michael Touchette. Touchette stepped down after an investigation by SevenDays revealed systemic corruption and abuse within the Chittenden State Correctional Facility, the state’s only women’s prison. Baker has been charged with helping to lead the state’s response.
Kathy Fox conducts research on offender reentry programs in the state of Vermont, notably the Circles of Support & Accountability (CoSA) program that pairs formerly incarcerated individuals with volunteer supporters. In spring 2013, she was awarded a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to compare offender reintegration in the U.S. and New Zealand. She is an Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences at UVM and launched the UVM Liberal Arts in Prison Program (LAPP) that offers credit-bearing courses in two Vermont prisons.
Sarah George was appointed to be the Vermont state’s attorney for Chittenden County in January 2017 by Gov. Phil Scott. Before that, she had worked in the Vermont state’s attorney’s office since 2011, after graduating from Vermont Law School. As a prosecutor, George has promised to work towards reform and equity in the criminal justice system.
Senator Dick Sears and Representative Selene Colburn will close the evening with a short legislative update on criminal justice reform legislation that will be debated in the 2020 session.
Sen. Dick Sears is a Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate, representing the Bennington senate district. He chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary and serves on Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Rep. Selene Colburn (Vermont Progressive Party) represents Chittenden-6-4 and serves on the House Committee on Judiciary.
Keynote speaker Janos Marton is a nationally recognized advocate for criminal justice reform. He is a candidate for Manhattan District Attorney and was manager of state campaigns for the ACLU’s national Smart Justice initiative. Prior to the ACLU and the close Rikers campaign, Marton served as Special Counsel to the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption in New York.
This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to let us know you’re coming.
“How to Fix a Jail” is the first in VTDigger’s Fast Forward series of free, public events centered on proposed legislation and critical issues for Vermonters.
You can submit a question for the panelists here:
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Thank you to our event sponsors:
