The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

U.S. Marshal John Edwards asked state legislators Wednesday to consider building a new prison that could house both federal and state detainees who are awaiting trial.

Lawmakers said state budget pressures make the construction of such a facility, which could cost $65 million, unlikely.

Edwards said his agency and other federal authorities find it "almost impossible" to find space for detainees.

U.S. Marshals have custody of roughly 100 to 120 pretrial prisoners at any given time in Vermont. They have a contract for only 40 beds in the state's prisons, however, and as a result, prisoners are being driven to Vermont federal court appearances from 15 prisons in five states, Edwards said. Some come from as far away as Rhode Island. Moving those prisoners is expensive, time-consuming and dangerous, he said.

After trial, those prisoners are freed or taken to federal prisons elsewhere. Vermont also houses about 100 detainees from other federal agencies, many of them people being held on immigration-related charges.

Meanwhile, the state houses roughly 450 of its own prisoners in Kentucky and Oklahoma —roughly equal to the 400 or so pretrial state prisoners Vermont holds in state facilities.

If the state were to build a 650-bed prison — probably somewhere in Chittenden County — it could house federal and state detainees and also allow Vermont's own prisoners to be returned from out of state, officials said.

"This is an issue we have been talking about with the state for some time," Edwards said.

Commissioner of Corrections Rob Hofmann agreed that federal authorities face a real problem. He also said it would be good for the state to be able to separate detainees who have not yet been tried from those who have been convicted and are serving time.

"The people who are out of state would not have to be there if we could solve our detainee problem," Hofmann said. But, he added, "I don't see the capital money being there in the near term."

Building a massive prison — the state's newest prison in Springfield has only 350 beds — is unlikely to happen soon, if ever.

There is a possibility that $5 million in federal money could be set aside for building such a facility in Vermont, one of only a few states where the shortage of beds for federal prisoners is considered severe, Edwards said. The federal government would pay a per-prison, per-day rate to the state for operating the facility.

But even if that $5 million was approved, it wouldn't begin to touch the cost of the new facility, which at roughly $100,000 per bed could reach $65 million, lawmakers said. For comparison, the state spends a little over $40 million a year on all of its capital projects.

"The money just is not there," said Sen. Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, a member of the Corrections Oversight Committee.

Meanwhile, the state continues struggling with other costly projects, including replacement of the ailing Vermont State Hospital and the building of a new corrections work camp. Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington, vice chairman of the committee, said community opposition could throw up additional roadblocks.

"I think it is very, very unlikely that any community in Vermont is going to want a 650-bed facility," Sears said.

Vermonters who are convicted or accused under state law cost about $20,000 to house in private prisons out of state. Housing them in Vermont costs twice that amount. So, even while state officials would like to eliminate the practice of sending Vermonters to out-of-state prisons, doing so would be costly.

Strengthened enforcement of laws following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 has doubled the number of federal detainees, Edwards said. Federal authorities would like access to 150 beds in Vermont as they plan for the future.

Rep. Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, chairwoman of the committee, said increased enforcement of drug crimes, not detentions related to terrorism, is driving the increase in the number of federal detainees. She called it an example of the federal government putting fiscal pressure on the states.

"It is the states that are going to be paying the cost," Emmons said.

Contact Louis Porter at louis.porter@rutlandherald.com.