Senators unanimously passed a bill last week that to fathers in Vermont prisons for the first time. Now it sits on the governor's desk.
The bill, , represents a legislative effort to reduce harm and break the cycle of generational incarceration. Under the bill, fathers in prison would be able to take parenting classes, visit with their children in a child-friendly space and talk to them via free video calls.
The bill would expand an existing program called Kids-A-Part, which the state has offered incarcerated mothers since 2003. If it becomes a law, the bill would first bring the program to Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport before spreading it statewide by 2028.
It鈥檚 known experts that children with incarcerated parents are much more likely to go to prison themselves. And the state鈥檚 program for women has seen great success, those involved say. Signing the expansion into law would guarantee that the program is rolled out in the years to come.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just really excited,鈥� said Kim Laroche, who runs parent-child services for Lund, the social services organization that runs the program. She hopes Gov. Phil Scott signs the bill. It was delivered to his office Friday, May 9.
Lund looks forward to bringing in games and activities for the child-visitation space, which they expect to set aside within the normal visitation room at the Newport prison, Laroche said. Organizers plan on offering parenting classes and visits for parents to get together with their children, along with the free mail and video call services they already provide at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.
Expanding the program would mean 鈥渕ore children can stay connected to their dads, which helps reduce trauma, strengthens families and builds brighter futures,鈥� Laroche said.
The Department of Corrections found interest in the program among incarcerated people in the Newport prison, .
The bill was approved with unanimous support by the Senate on May 2 after passing the House in March and moving through Senate committees since then. Both lawmakers and Lund employees say they鈥檝e heard overwhelming support for the program.
It鈥檚 鈥渧ery clear that this is a Vermont value 鈥� that if we鈥檙e going to incarcerate Vermonters, it is going to be in a system that provides wrap-around services鈥� to both incarcerated people and their kids, said Rep. Troy Headrick, I-Burlington, the bill鈥檚 lead sponsor.
Throughout his time as a legislator, Headrick鈥檚 heard many experts come into the Statehouse to talk about the generational harm caused by incarceration, he said in an April 4 interview with Community News Service. He hopes the bill minimizes that harm.
The program for men is 鈥渟o close to actually coming to fruition, and so we鈥檙e just really excited about it,鈥� Laroche said with a cheerful laugh.
The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.
