With Vermont’s corrections costs spiraling out of control,
officials from all branches of government have been working on a plan to close
one Vermont prison and change how several other facilities are used. The resulting savings will be re-invested in transitional
housing and substance abuse programs. Experts say the plan, which was just approved by
the Legislature, would not only save $3.5 million by 2010, but also curb
recidivism and make Vermont’s
communities safer. We talk about the plan with Vermont Corrections Commissioner
Rob Hofmann and with Dick Sears, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Listen)
Also on the program, Rutland Herald business reporter
Bruce Edwards takes a look at the factors that made this winter a banner season
for Vermont’s ski resorts. (Listen)
And we continue our series, My Vermont:
essays by our listeners on life in the Green Mountain State. Today Lali Cobb of West Pawlet talks
about how animals balance our relationship to the land. (Listen)