In 2020, Gov. Phil Scott signed Act 148, an act relating to justice reinvestment. The law intends to reduce Vermont's prison population, reduce recidivism and reduce the state's reliance on out-of-state, private, for-profit, prisons. The act was a result of work by the Justice Reinvestment II Working Group and enacted many of the committee's recommendations.
Among the many reforms in this act is the reinstatement of earned good time - giving inmates the ability to earn a small reduction in their sentenced time by maintaining a high standard of conduct while incarcerated and on parole.
Now there is an effort in both chambers of the Vermont Legislature (S.18 and H.111) to take this option away from inmates convicted of certain classes of offenses.
I want to argue against these bills.