By Michael Bielawski

The Vermont Department of Corrections is partnering with the nonprofit Chicago Beyond, a social-justice-focused organization that deals with “systemic inequity,” to improve inmates’ family and other connections – including the prison guards.

VDC reached out to the Department for comment. Director of Communications & Legislative Affairs Haley Sommer responded that their work is to benefit the conditions for both inmates and staff at their six correctional facilities.

“The focus groups sought their feedback on areas such as health and wellness, increasing time out of cells, and fostering greater connection between staff and incarcerated individuals. DOC provided this feedback to Chicago Beyond, and their team visited Vermont several months ago to visit two of our facilities,” Sommer wrote on Monday.

Chicago Beyond also on their social media posts about an event that they recently did with the Clinton Foundation. When asked if Chicago Beyond’s political advocacy might work its way into their collaborative work in Vermont, Sommer said in an email on Tuesday that the work will be focused on the wellness of staff and inmates.

“The policy recommendations outlined in the publication and their work in Vermont thus far has been solely focused on strengthening the wellbeing and safety of staff/people incarcerated, and in turn strengthening our communities,” she wrote.

Sommer’s Monday email also talks about benefiting the relationships between staff and inmates.

“Based on their site visits and content from the focus groups, Chicago Beyond submitted recommendations and an implementation plan to DOC,” she wrote. “The plan largely focuses on reducing physical and emotional isolation for and between staff and incarcerated individuals.”

Some ideas include revamping family support groups for corrections staff, allowing more visitation for the incarcerated, and creating more avenues that the incarcerated and staff can communicate.

“Addresses systematic inequity”

More information is available by Chicago Beyond published on PRNewswire.

“Chicago Beyond, a national philanthropic organization that addresses systemic inequity by backing solutions led by people closest to the issues, is working with correctional institutions around the country and today announced a partnership with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry; the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Vermont Department of Corrections to introduce Holistic Safety measures across their state facilities,” the post states.

On the Chicago Beyond website under their mission and values section, it states that the concept of equality is now to be replaced with equity. It states “People in our communities face unimaginable obstacles to achieving their fullest human potential. So, we must fight for equity, not equality.” On their site’s about page, it calls for “equitable access to opportunities” as a policy goal.

In a document on the DOC website – unrelated to this program – titled “Roadmap to 2030: Mission-focused, values-driven” it states that one of their primary policy goals is to “Advance diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices into all that we do to achieve a just corrections system.”

Staffing shortages

The Newswire article refers to a document that Chicago Beyond uses to promote the program called “Do I Have the Right to Feel Safe?” The documents focuses on how to address tangible challenges that both staff and inmates. It also calls for an “envisioned culture shift”.

One issue that this 80-page document addresses is how staffing shortages are impacting the challenges at correctional facilities.

“Balancing this work while managing fire-drills and day-to-day administrative duties can be daunting, especially with staffing shortages. We must streamline the work of our team—eliminating tasks that do not drive safety—provide people with with the space they need to assist in managing daily operations and supporting the envisioned culture shift,” it states.

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle