Lamoille County Justice Project Touts Dramatic Results

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(Host) A Community Justice project in Lamoille County is being touted as an effective way to reduce the Corrections Department budget.

The goal of the program is to improve outcomes for children of incarcerated parents by providing a variety of education and counseling services.

VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports.

(Kinzel) The initial results of this program were so stunning that researchers had to double check their work to be certain that their conclusions were accurate.

The project is part of the Lamoille County Court Diversion Program and it’s available to children who have a parent who has been or is currently in jail.  The goal of the program is to help keep these children out of trouble with the law.

Eligible families receive counseling services, parental support services, and access to health care programs.

Mary Hoadley of Johnson has had several children enrolled in the program. She says it’s made all the difference in the world:

(Hoadley) "Just to help get the kids to do better in school and they’re doing wonderfully. Without them, I wouldn’t understand so much to get the help that they’ve needed throughout the school and with counselors outside of school for anger issues that some of my children have had …We’re going to church and enjoying life, we’re not scared to go out into the world now."

(Kinzel) Kim Lawrence of Stowe says her son Dylan has also greatly benefited from the program:

(Lawrence) "Dylan gets the help and support he needs in school so instead of ‘he’s way behind, he’s not getting the help’ –  he’s catching up, he’s getting the help and he’s meeting the standards."

(Kinzel) So how effective has the program been in keeping these kids out of trouble?  Bud Meyer is the director of the Jeffords Education Center at UVM. For the past 8 years he’s been tracking the progress of kids in the program. He says the results are astonishing:

(Meyer) "We would have expected in Lamoille County for the period of this study to have witnessed at least 150 kids coming through the system being adjudicated and you get 6! I mean that’s just extraordinary."

(Kinzel) Lamoille senator Susan Bartlett is the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations committee.  She thinks the program should be expanded throughout the state:

(Bartlett) "Here’s a program that’s been running for a while and we know that it really works I think it’s a perfect example for me of what Challenges for Change is all about. It’s about turning to our communities and having them understand what their community’s need, it’s a great example of doing the early intervention."

(Kinzel) The UVM study concludes that by keeping most of these children out of jail during their lifetimes, the state will avoid $31 million in future Corrections costs.      

For VPR News, I’m Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.

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