Vermont Inmate Search
Vermont inmate records refer to electronic or written information, including an individual’s arrest, medical history, and activities when in custody. These records are maintained by the Vermont Department of Corrections, which also manages all jails and prisons within the state. The Department of Corrections also presides over the probation and parole sectors of the criminal justice department.
Individuals can access inmate records via the inmate locator on the Department of Corrections website. This would allow one to search profiles via their names, DOC numbers, or alias. It should reveal the person's physical description, criminal charges, sentencing information, and current status. The Vermont Department of Corrections also provides information on communicating with inmates, visiting, and sending packages or money.
What are Vermont Inmate Records?
Vermont inmate records are information the state Department of Corrections provides detailing an incarcerated person’s profile. These are maintained both at the county and state level. For the latter, they are stored by the Vermont Department of Corrections, which also provides an inmate lookup for interested parties to use. Inmate records are widely available according to the Vermont Public Records Act unless they have been expunged or sealed.
They can also be restricted from view per the Department of Corrections APA Rule 19-035 or if required by state laws. If the information is unavailable, requesters can seek the county where the inmate was jailed and use the local lookup platforms. These are maintained by the sheriff’s office or local correctional department. Interested parties can view the person’s physical details, criminal charges, bail status, and amounts. Alternatively, getting inmate records from some third-party websites and organizations is possible. These may offer an easier way to search inmates, but the information may not necessarily be as accurate or verified.
What are Vermont Prison and Jail Records?
The Vermont Department of Corrections presides over six correctional facilities across the state and 23 jails in various counties. Statistically, Vermont has an incarceration rate of 288 for every 100,000 people. The prison population is 1608 inmates and a parole population of 871 individuals. Probation, though, is 3,987 individuals. When it comes to demographics though, blacks are overrepresented. They are 2,214 per 100,000, while Hispanic inmates are 891. Indigenous people are also overrepresented in the population at 1,314 per 100,000. Whites are underrepresented in the incarcerated population compared to black, Native Americans, and Latino members. Unfortunately, that hurts the jury diversity levels because the state does not allow people with felony records to serve on a jury.
Vermont prisons release an estimated 2,528 inmates a year. Prisons and jails in the state, though, are shifting the cost of incarceration to the inmates due to the increasing economic prices of the facilities. Fortunately, facilities do not currently charge incarcerated people for any copay on their medical care. That means inmates are treated on conditions without having to chip in. Vermont prisons and access corrections do not report any data on the fees for transferring money to an inmate. Inmates, though, earn 25 cents per hour for their work. It also charges 25 cents for every e-message sent or received by the inmate.
Prison Rape Elimination Act
The Vermont Department of Corrections maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse, known as the Prison Rape Elimination Act. It was passed in 2003 with support from Congress. The goal was to issue information, resources, recommendations, and funding to protect inmates from rape. It applies to all correctional facilities housing all adult or juvenile offenders.
During notifications, when the emergent situation is content, a supervisor will issue a notice to the Superintendent. This will go to the central office executives and the facilities executive PREA coordinator. The Vermont state police will handle all criminal investigations, while the Department of Human Resources Investigations unit deals with staff-related misconduct.
How to Perform Inmate Search in Vermont
The Vermont Department of Corrections handles all inmate-related records in the state. These are also available to all interested parties in accordance with state law. The Department of Corrections offers an inmate lookup portal where one can search a person using their name and booking detail. The results should yield the profile of the individual, criminal charges, minimum and maximum term of their sentence as well as their parole officer, if relevant. If the information is unavailable, it is possible to use the county lookup platforms maintained by the various sheriff's offices.
These are the best option if the person has in jail rather than prison. It may also be an option if the individual was convicted of a misdemeanor because these sentences are likely to be served in county facilities. If the county does not have a sheriff-sponsored inmate search portal, parties can search the law enforcement agency’s arrest or jail logs to find the desired result. Most law enforcement-sponsored platforms keep an accurate log of people in jails awaiting trial, and these lists are updated daily.
How to Contact an Inmate in Vermont
Inmates are allowed to contact people from the outside world via telephone, mail, packages, and visitation. For telephone contact, it is set up that the calls have to be made by the inmates to the outside rather than vice versa. Inmates are allowed two phone calls each every week, and the duration is five minutes. Current phone rates for collect calls depend on the type. For local calls, the charge is $0.039 per minute. If it is intrastate or interstate, it is $0.069. Prepaid collect calling has the same rates, while international calls attract a charge of $0.63 a minute. For prepaid phone accounts, interested parties can visit gettingout.com and follow the instructions for setting up the account.
Email facilities are also provided where inmates can do what is known as e-messaging with people from the outside. It does not work with the internet considering inmates are not allowed access to the web. Rather there is an intranet service where inmates can send messages, which are relayed to the email platform of the person on the outside. Every incoming and outgoing message, though, is charged to the inmate at 25 cents. The facility security staff screens all calls and messages to determine if the correspondence is within the regulations. Any chatter that may encourage criminal conduct, deviancy, or a hate-related crime is intercepted and will result in disciplinary action against the inmate, such as revocation of privileges.
It is also possible to send mail to the inmate or receive letters from them. However, all mail is subject to inspection to determine that no contraband would threaten the security of the facility or inmates. Inmates are only allowed to get unstamped, plain white postcards. The writing must also be in pencil, blue, or black ink forms. If no return address is given, the unauthorized mail will be stored in the inmate's locker until released from the institution. Mails cannot contain anything concerning weapons, incendiary devices, escape material, or violence. They cannot also entail anything racially radicalizing. Similarly, they cannot correspond in any manner that may allude to collaboration, or relating to other inmates that have been incarcerated.
One of the best workarounds when it comes to mail is to utilize the InmateAid platform, as they have an automatic type system that handles sending a loved one a special message. All inmate mail options are prison-approved type printed mail, and they are shipped through USPS. That would mean two to four business days before a person’s order is fulfilled and delivered to the inmate.
It is possible to purchase magazines and books for inmates, but these have to be approved, then come directly from the publisher. Well-wishers are not allowed to send magazines in an envelope. They have to have the inmate’s name fixed on the address label as well.
Inmates may also receive care packages, though the facilities have a weekly limit of $100 for each person. Processing and tax also have to be handled. These do not count when it comes to weekly commissary allowances.
How to Visit an Inmate in Vermont
Inmates at Vermont Department of Correction facilities may receive visitors at least once per week. This is in addition to religious and legal visits, which means officials do not have the same restrictions when visiting their clients or parish. Inmates are allowed a maximum of ten people on their visiting list, which is the pre-approved individuals that have been cleared to see them. It does not necessarily include any of the victims of the offense or the charge.
When visitors arrive, their name and address on the identification must match with what is on the approved list. Should there be a discrepancy in the name, the visitor may have to explain it to the satisfaction of the staff. Each inmate may also receive three visitors per visit unless the Superintendent provides approval for more. The staff can also require additional identification, such as the birth certificate of the person visiting.
There is also a criterion for screening those who may visit inmates at the Vermont DOC facilities. The inmates' victims have to request to visit the inmate for one, but the inmate cannot put their victim on the list. Contacts disallowed by the courts or the terms of probation to not associate with the inmate cannot be on the visitor list. That is, unless, under supervision with the Department of Corrections, they have the approval of the inmate’s assigned probation or parole officer.
It is also possible for former employees or contractors of the Department of Corrections to see inmates provided they have been granted permission to do so by the facility Superintendent. A minor may not visit an inmate unless they have been accompanied by a guardian who has been approved to do the visit. Visitors must also wear formal clothing covering the neck to the knee. It should cover any vulgar or inappropriate tattoos. Visitors will be screened for contraband and provide their government-issued identification on arrival to the facilities.
There are times when an application for visitation is not approved, especially if there is a reasonable belief that this authorization can jeopardize overall security. The person denied visitation of an inmate, though, will get a letter showing why the DOC decided on the action. Inmates visiting privileges can also be suspended if they are part of a formal disciplinary action. That is, the Superintendent can suspend an inmate's privileges, but it will be in writing detailing the reason and scope of the act.
How to Send Money to an Inmate in Vermont
The Vermont Department of Corrections allows family, friends, and well-wishers two methods of sending money to inmates. That is by Deposit Coupon and Access Corrections website. In the first option, an inmate may pick one from the state prison lobbies. One can also print or use a blank deposit coupon on the website. Both bank checks and money orders are accepted utilizing the Deposit Coupon. Both bank checks and money orders can be made payable to the Department of Corrections FBO. It will require the sender to know the inmate’s full committed name, ID number, and the location of a federal BOP. One should note a limit of $500 daily for sending money to the inmate accounts.
The Department of Corrections also provides a sample deposit coupon to act as a guide for interested parties. The inmate ID number should always be written in the memo part of the money order or the check before they are sent. Before sending out any money, though, it is advisable to determine the online transfer companies the inmate is incarcerated in utilizes. It is possible to find the information on some platforms by navigating to the facilities page and then clicking on Money Transfer. The facility's regulations can also determine the amount of money one can send or if the person is on the inmate’s visitation list. There are also facilities with a lower daily deposit limit of $200 to $300, though, for federal institutions, no limits exist.