Editor’s note: This commentary is by Melinda Moulton, of Huntington, who is a board member of the ACLU Vermont and the CEO of Main Street Landing in Burlington.
Today in our country the cases of Covid-19 continue to rise along with the unimaginable death toll. There seems to be no stopping this unknown virus that ravages our physical, social, and economic fiber. And yet, thriving amid the suffering we see remarkable moments of heroism, courage, brilliance, strength and unbounded kindness and love. I honestly believe these times will create positive societal changes.
Therefore, we now need to completely reform our prison system. I believe when a person is incarcerated, they should be rehabilitated, find redemption, and receive counseling and education. Instead, often prisons are holding tanks that not only cage the body, but also the mind and the soul. In the end, they do nothing but perpetuate suffering and criminality. Human beings can only thrive in an environment that recognizes individual value and worth and provides the tools to change one’s perspective of who they are.
Restorative Justice is the process through which offenders accept responsibility for harm they have caused and with mediation and dialogue with their victims there is, for everyone, restitution, and resolution rather than punishment and suffering.
So why should we care about this?
Life right now for a prison resident during Covid is complete lockdown, no one can leave their cell, the food is brought to them, and there is absolutely no visitation. The prison staff must be isolated from their families and are living in a motel. But even with these measures, social distancing is still impossible. Vermont incarcerates nearly 1,400 people. Already there has been a major outbreak of Covid-19 in one Vermont prison, and there could be more.
The state of Vermont needs to act quickly during this deadly pandemic to allow the safe release of anyone incarcerated on technical violations or who may be close to the end of their prison term.
I am disappointed that the state of Vermont has just appealed a federal court ruling that permitted a lawsuit by the ACLU Vermont to go forward. This lawsuit challenged the state of Vermont to stop delaying life-saving treatment for Hepatitis C for hundreds of people in our prison system.
I do not believe the state will win its appeal and I do believe this lawsuit will go forward and, in the end, justice will be served, but the continuing delay is inexcusable.
Vermonters are a forward-thinking, compassionate, evolved, empathetic and caring people.
However, when it comes to caring for the most disenfranchised among us – the nearly 1,400 Vermonters who reside in our prison system – we fail to reach this lofty vision of our better selves. I know as a people we care, and I know together we can work to reform Vermont’s prison system to ensure self-worth and value are the measures of success.
