Forty percent of the people who are released from prison end up going back there. What does it take to keep to keep people from re-offending?
On Vermont Edition we'll talk about a Department of Corrections program that puts community volunteers and high-risk offenders together. It's called Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) and Vermont is one of only two states to use this model. We'll talk to Derek Miodownik, the Community & Restorative Justice Executive for the Vermont Department of Corrections, and Kathy Fox, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Vermont.
Have you been involved with a CoSA, or a restorative justice program? Send your comments or questions to vermontedition@vpr.net.
Also, we'll get the next edition of our program Dorothy’s List: A Monthly Series for Young Readers. We'll join fifth and sixth graders in Starksboro as they work with the book Wonder, and talk about how kids treat each other when they don’t fit in.
Listen Monday, January 6 at noon and 7 p.m.