Vermont lawmakers are trying to understand and respond to a Shumlin administration decision to stop the flow of mentally ill or cognitively impaired inmates out of state prisons and into community placements.
The state is spending more than $3 million this year on community placements for inmates who are near the end of their terms but are deemed to have "serious functional impairments."
Agency of Human Services officials say no program was ever officially created to deal with people in this category. It's declared a moratorium on community placements for such people until it can get some direction from the Legislature.
At a hearing Tuesday, a special study committee of lawmakers asked the agency to bring recommendations to its next hearing.
