Criminal Justice & Public Safety

In May, the Department for Children and Families unveiled a plan to build a new secure youth facility in Vergennes — partially on land that once housed the Weeks School, a former youth detention center with a troubled history. Some advocates say it’s a physical reminder that the state hasn't done enough to reckon with the past.

The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles recently unveiled the Blue Envelope Program. The program intends to make routine traffic stop interactions between drivers on the autism spectrum and law enforcement officers easier.

St. Johnsbury police Sgt. George Johnson was cited by Vermont State Police for allegedly using excessive force against a 35-year-old man he initially stopped for jaywalking.

Judge Mary Morrissey on Wednesday rejected the Lamoille County state’s attorney’s request to further delay the murder trial, which is set to begin in October. Seth Brunell faces a second-degree murder charge after prosecutors allege he stabbed Fern Feather, a transgender woman from Hinesburg, to death in 2022.

A state office is requesting zoning changes in Essex to build a correctional facility and reentry unit on state-owned land to replace the only women's prison in Vermont.

A Rhode Island man who was shot and injured by Vermont State Police last month pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges, including attempted aggravated murder. Police say Brenden Sackal led law enforcement agencies on a vehicle pursuit and opened fire first.

Vermont hasn’t had a locked facility for youth since shuttering Woodside in 2020. The new temporary facility in Middlesex will accommodate up to four youth.

The judge denied the city of Burlington’s request to dismiss a lawsuit that says two officers physically forced the 14-year-old to hand over a stolen e-cigarette.

Members of Migrant Justice held a press conference in West Pawlet last month to denounce the alleged assaults of a farmworker and his nephew. The farm owner has since been issued a citation for two counts of misdemeanor simple assault.

Tracy Shriver has held the job for nearly two decades. Her retirement is effective immediately.