Waterbury, VT – In its continued effort to revitalize correctional facilities and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vermont Department of Corrections is announcing the reopening of in-person services and visitation at all six state correctional facilities. In addition, the practice of intake quarantine is set to end on April 18. This practice served as one of the Department’s strongest mitigation tools in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus to general population housing units.
“Vermont is one of the most effective states in the country at mitigating COVID-19 in the incarcerated population, but that came at a cost to the mental and emotional well-being of our staff and our incarcerated population,” said Commissioner Nicholas Deml. “While we know the virus entered our facilities from the outside, we also know that many positive things come from the outside: family, friends, programming, education, and support services. We are relieved to finally ease the burden on our staff and increase the resources and sources of health and wellness for those in our care.”
Vermont DOC began its revitalization and recovery plan in mid-March. This four-phased approach moves facilities through gradually increasing stages of reopening. As part of that plan, isolation will continue to be used for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 based on recommendations from the Vermont Department of Health.
Vermont is the only state to report zero COVID-19 related deaths among incarcerated individuals or staff.
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