Vermont H 456: An act relating to establishing a State-funded and community-based continuum of care for justice-involved individuals

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.456
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VT LEG #381116 v.1
H.456 1
Introduced by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Christie of Hartford, and 2
Cole of Hartford 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Human services; Attorney General; corrections; reinvestment; 6
transitional housing; substance use treatment and mental health needs; 7
community support services 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to appropriate 9
various sums of money to the Agency of Human Services and the Office of the 10
Attorney General to establish and support a State-supported and community-11
based continuum of care for justice-involved individuals. Specifically, this bill 12
proposes to appropriate monies to fund supportive and transitional housing 13
initiatives and community-based mental health and substance use services, and 14
to reappropriate funds for correctional facility construction to invest in 15
community-based services. 16
An act relating to establishing a State-funded and community-based 17
continuum of care for justice-involved individuals 18
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 19
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 20

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VT LEG #381116 v.1
The General Assembly finds that: 1
(1) Social determinants of health and crime are interconnected and 2
impact public health and safety. 3
(2) Housing conditions are a key determinant of both health and crime. 4
The lack of affordable housing contributes to the extended incarceration of 5
justice-involved individuals beyond their minimum sentences in Vermont and 6
is linked to higher recidivism rates. Incarceration itself worsens these 7
conditions, negatively affecting public health and safety. 8
(3) Access to health care is also a social determinant of health and 9
crime. Justice-involved individuals suffer from higher rates of chronic health 10
conditions, infectious diseases, substance use disorders, and mental illness. A 11
public health approach focused on prevention and addressing these shared 12
determinants is essential for improving health and reducing crime. 13
(4) Education is a critical social determinant of both health and crime. 14
(5) Economic and social opportunities also drive both health outcomes 15
and criminal behavior. 16
(6) Incarceration often exacerbates social and economic harm and fails 17
to effectively rehabilitate individuals. 18
(7) Vermont can reduce criminal behavior by investing in housing, 19
education, workforce development, health care, nutrition, and mental health 20

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services, offering community-based support to justice-involved individuals 1
instead of relying on incarceration. 2
Sec. 2. INTENT AND PURPOSE 3
(a) Intent. 4
(1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to reduce harm, restore 5
justice, promote recovery, and build resilience by delaying the construction of 6
new correctional facilities and prioritizing investments in social and housing 7
infrastructure. 8
(2) It is further the intent of the General Assembly to promote 9
transformative justice and recovery by providing housing and shelter for 10
justice-involved individuals alongside community-based support services. 11
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this act is to transform Vermont’s criminal 12
justice system by reducing reliance on State-funded correctional facilities. The 13
act seeks to establish a community-based system of care and rehabilitation that 14
reduces recidivism and promotes recovery. The system will include: 15
(1) accessible, equitable, and localized services statewide; 16
(2) secure housing for individuals in recovery and those at risk of self-17
harm or harming others; 18
(3) strengthened treatment, education, and workforce training integrated 19
into localized, equitable residential programs; 20

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(4) pathways to economic security through fair compensation, financial 1
services, and opportunities for homeownership and small business 2
development; and 3
(5) support for healthy relationships to help individuals repair harm and 4
reconnect with family and community. 5
Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; HUMAN SERVICES; JUSTICE-INVOLVED 6
INDIVIDUALS; HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION 7
(a) The sum of $1,313,044.00 is appropriated from the General Fund to 8
the Agency of Human Services in fiscal year 2026 for the purpose of issuing 9
grants to Pathways Vermont to deliver supportive and transitional housing to 10
individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who are being 11
released from incarceration or who were previously incarcerated. 12
(b) Any grant issued pursuant to this section shall be used to provide 13
supportive and transitional housing to individuals who are homeless or at risk 14
of homelessness and who are being released from incarceration or who were 15
previously incarcerated. 16
Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; LAND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY 17
BOARD