Criminal Justice & Public Safety

Vermont hasn’t had a permanent facility for justice-involved youth since 2020. The lack of a secure facility has meant more juveniles have been held in adult prisons.

Vermont and Maine are the only two states that allow citizens to vote while incarcerated. But a new report identifies numerous barriers to voting.

Gov. Phil Scott unveiled his “short-term action plan” intended to tackle concerns about crime, public drug use and “disorder” in Vermont’s largest city.

Vermont State Police located a body during a search for Middlebury College student Lia Smith, who has been missing nearly a week. The Chief Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to confirm the identity of the deceased individual and determine cause of death.

A man accused of setting fire to the door of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Burlington office has been found mentally incompetent and unable to assist in his defense. A federal judge ordered that he be sent to a "suitable facility” to receive treatment.

Former Addison County Sheriff Peter Newton was sentenced to two years of probation on Wednesday after pleading guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct and simple assault.

Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday appointed Zach Weight, a deputy state’s attorney in Washington County, to serve as a special prosecutor in Chittenden County focused on the backlog of repeat offender cases.

The governor’s office said the effort is the first in a multi-point plan aimed at addressing concerns about quality of life crimes and disorder in Burlington.

Richard Davis, 78, of Orleans, died Saturday morning at Southern State Correctional Facility. The Department of Corrections says his death does not appear suspicious.

A Burlington police officer shot at someone Sunday night after an hours-long standoff at a housing complex. Vermont State Police are investigating the incident, according to a press release.