BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – Women in prison in Vermont is the topic of the meeting of the Brattleboro branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Tuesday, Oct. 21.
The public is invited to the discussion at 7 p.m. in room 2C of the Marlboro Graduate Center on Vernon Road.
Rep. Molly Burke (P) and AAUW member Louise Luring will share information presented at a recent summit on Women in Corrections in Vermont hosted by Vermont Law School and co-sponsored by the Vermont Commission on Women, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, the Vermont Bar Association, the Vermont Women’s Legislative Caucus, Vermont Law School (VLS) and VLS’s Black Law Students’ Association, Women’s Law Group, and National Lawyers’ Guild.
Burke is also studying the issue as a member of the Legislative Caucus of the Vermont House of Representatives.
“This is an issue most of us don’t know much about,” said Luring. “There are approximately 151 women in Vermont prisons at any one time, mostly for non-violent crimes, and the number of female prisoners is rising faster than that of males.
“It costs Vermont taxpayers $85,000 per year to maintain a prisoner, so we need to be sure programs are in place to keep women from re-offending and landing back in jail, the so-called ‘churn’ effect.
“Of women in prison in Vermont, 80 percent are mothers, with 75 percent of them primary caregivers, which can cause a devastating ripple effect for generations. Ironically, 70 percent are in prison for technical violations of conditions of their probation, which are often caused by lack of transportation, housing or child care.”
AAUW is a national organization that advances education and equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. The Brattleboro branch was founded in 1926 and is open to men and women who hold an associate’s or equivalent, bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university and support the AAUW mission.
Information can be found at www.aauwvt.org or by calling (802) 387-5875.
