Vermont operates one of the smallest state prison systems in the country, with six regional correctional facilities and a prison population that has grown from approximately 1,366 in September 2023 to over 1,650 by September 2025 -- straining capacity and prompting transfers to a private prison in Mississippi.
Vermont DOC's administrative directive #410.06 (Restrictive Housing Status, Conditions of Confinement) governs solitary confinement practices, which the department calls "restrictive housing status." Vermont has no statute limiting the duration of adult solitary confinement, though Vermont developed new rules for solitary confinement placement in the period around 2015-2017 in response to growing national attention to the issue.
Vermont's most current and pressing solitary confinement concern as of 2025 is an unusual one: youth being charged as adults and held in Vermont's adult prisons end up in de facto solitary confinement because federal regulations require "sight and sound separation" from adult prisoners -- and Vermont currently lacks a secure juvenile facility to house them otherwise. From October 2024 through September 2025, 26 youth were held in Vermont adult prisons under these conditions.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Vermont
Vermont DOC uses "restrictive housing status" as its official term. Administrative directive #410.06 (effective December 18, 2006) governs restrictive housing status conditions of confinement and includes:
- Restrictive Housing Status Provisions and Management Standards (Attachment 1).
- Restrictive Housing Status Review Matrix (Attachment 2).
- Segregation Commissary Limits (Attachment 3).
- Segregation Confinement Check Sheet (Attachment 4).
- Segregation Confinement Log Sheet (Attachment 5).
Vermont DOC uses two primary types of restricted housing:
Administrative Segregation: Non-punitive placement for safety, security, or investigative reasons, without a prior hearing. Open-ended with periodic review per the Review Matrix.
Disciplinary Segregation: Post-hearing punitive isolation for rule violations, with a defined sanction term.
Protective Custody: Separation from general population for the person's own safety.
Vermont's Six Correctional Facilities
Vermont has six regional correctional facilities:
- Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (South Burlington): The only women's facility. As of September 2025, holding 180+ women in a facility with 118 general population beds.
- Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility (Rutland)
- Northeast Correctional Complex (St. Johnsbury)
- Northwest State Correctional Facility (St. Albans Town)
- Southern State Correctional Facility (Springfield)
- Dale Active Re-Entry Center (Waterbury): Minimum security.
All facilities except the minimum-security Dale Active Re-Entry Center have general population units that were at or near/over capacity as of September 2025. Restrictive housing units exist primarily at the higher-security facilities.
The Youth Solitary Confinement Problem
Vermont lacks a secure juvenile facility for youth charged as adults. This creates an acute solitary confinement problem: federal regulations require that youth held in adult prisons be kept in "sight and sound separation" from adults. In practice, this means they are often held in what amounts to solitary confinement -- isolated from the adult population and from meaningful programming.
From October 2024 through September 2025, 26 youth were held in Vermont adult prisons, up from 20 the previous year and 13 the year before. Vermont DOC's director of classification noted this trend in October 2025 while the state was seeking a new developer for a locked juvenile facility that has been planned but not yet built.
The Vermont legislature and DOC have acknowledged this is an ongoing problem but no near-term solution existed as of late 2025.
Prison Overcrowding and Mississippi
As of September 2025, Vermont's prison population had grown to over 1,650 -- nearly 300 more people than in September 2023. All six facilities had at least one general population unit at or over capacity. Temporary "sled beds" (plastic beds on cell floors) were in use at multiple facilities.
Vermont was considering and executing transfers to a private prison in Mississippi to manage overcrowding. For prisoners and families, out-of-state transfer creates significant barriers: greater distance from family (severely limiting visits), no access to Vermont-based programming, and subjection to Mississippi's conditions -- which as of June 2026 reporting are significantly more problematic than Vermont's (see Mississippi article in this series).
Administrative Reforms and Prior Rules Changes
Vermont developed new rules governing solitary confinement in the 2015-2017 period, including guidance on placement criteria and duration. These are administrative policies governed by Vermont DOC. Vermont has no statute:
- Limiting the duration of adult restrictive housing.
- Requiring minimum out-of-cell time.
- Prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in solitary.
- Mandating public data reporting on restrictive housing use.
Vermont is not among the states that passed solitary confinement legislation between July 2024 and July 2025 (Unlock the Box Campaign's list of 12 states).
What Families Can Do
If your person is in restrictive housing at a Vermont state prison:
Find where your person is housed. Vermont DOC provides an offender search at doc.vermont.gov. This confirms current facility and housing assignment. Note whether your person is being held in Vermont or has been transferred to Mississippi (private prison).
If your person has been transferred to Mississippi: Vermont DOC may be contracting with a private facility there. Contact Vermont DOC's main office (doc.vermont.gov) to confirm the transfer location and your visitation and communication rights under the contract. Vermont prisoners in Mississippi are subject to Mississippi's conditions -- contact Vermont DOC to confirm what Vermont oversight applies.
Contact the facility. For Vermont prisoners, contact the specific facility's administrative staff to confirm housing category (administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, or protective custody), the stated reason, the start date, and the review schedule.
Know the Review Matrix. Vermont's administrative directive #410.06 includes a Restrictive Housing Status Review Matrix. Ask the facility what review schedule your person is on and what criteria must be met for release from restrictive housing status.
Know the youth situation. If your person is a juvenile held in a Vermont adult prison, contact the DOC immediately to ask about their current housing conditions and whether they are in sight-and-sound separation from adults that amounts to solitary confinement. Contact the ACLU of Vermont.
File a grievance. Vermont DOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for conditions violations, failure to conduct timely reviews per the Review Matrix, denial of mental health services, or conditions below DOC policy standards.
Contact the Vermont Prisoners' Rights Office. The Vermont Prisoners' Rights Office (VTPRO) is a federally mandated protection and advocacy system resource for Vermont prisoners. Contact Vermont Legal Aid for referral information.
Contact the ACLU of Vermont. The ACLU of Vermont (acluvt.org) monitors DOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals and advocacy support.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in restrictive housing without mental health services, if they are a youth being held in adult solitary conditions, or if restrictive housing has continued for an extended period without the review required by the Review Matrix, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Vermont federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Vermont prisons?
Vermont DOC uses "restrictive housing status" as its official term, governed by administrative directive #410.06. Types include administrative segregation (non-punitive, open-ended, with periodic Review Matrix review), disciplinary segregation (post-hearing, defined term), and protective custody. Vermont's six correctional facilities all have the capacity for restrictive housing.
What facilities does Vermont DOC use for solitary?
Vermont has six correctional facilities: Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (South Burlington, women's), Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility (Rutland), Northeast Correctional Complex (St. Johnsbury), Northwest State Correctional Facility (St. Albans Town), Southern State Correctional Facility (Springfield), and Dale Active Re-Entry Center (Waterbury, minimum-security). Restrictive housing is most concentrated at the higher-security facilities. As of September 2025, all facilities with general population units were at or near capacity.
What are conditions like in Vermont restrictive housing?
Under administrative directive #410.06, Vermont's restrictive housing status involves isolation from general population with restricted programming, commissary access (per Attachment 3), and movement. Vermont's policy includes specific Confinement Check Sheets and Log Sheets, indicating regular documented welfare checks. Vermont's relatively small prison system means restrictive housing populations are smaller than most states in this series, though specific population counts are not publicly reported in the way many larger states require.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Vermont?
Vermont has no statute limiting the duration of adult administrative segregation. Disciplinary segregation has a defined term set at the hearing. Administrative segregation is governed by the Review Matrix in administrative directive #410.06, which establishes a periodic review schedule. There is no fixed maximum duration for administrative segregation in Vermont statute or current publicly available policy.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in VT?
Vermont has no statute specifically prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in restrictive housing. Vermont DOC's administrative policies include mental health review as part of restrictive housing oversight. For prisoners with acute mental illness, Vermont has mental health housing options distinct from standard restrictive housing, but these are administrative placements rather than statutory protections.
Does Vermont have a law limiting solitary confinement?
No. Vermont has no statute limiting the duration of adult solitary confinement, setting minimum out-of-cell time requirements, prohibiting vulnerable population placements, or mandating public reporting. Vermont developed administrative rules updates in the 2015-2017 period but these are policy directives, not statute. Vermont is not among the 12 states identified by the Unlock the Box Campaign as having passed solitary confinement legislation between July 2024 and July 2025.
Why are Vermont youth in de facto solitary confinement?
Vermont lacks a secure juvenile facility for youth charged as adults. Federal regulations require "sight and sound separation" of youth from adults in adult prisons. This means youth in Vermont adult prisons are typically isolated from the general population in conditions that amount to solitary confinement. From October 2024 through September 2025, 26 youth were held in Vermont adult prisons under these conditions -- up from 20 the year before and 13 the year before that. Vermont has been planning a new locked juvenile facility but it had not been built as of late 2025.
Are Vermont prisoners being sent to Mississippi?
Yes, as of 2025. Vermont's prison population grew from approximately 1,366 in September 2023 to over 1,650 by September 2025, creating overcrowding at all six facilities. Vermont is contracting with a private prison in Mississippi to house some prisoners. Families should confirm any transfer by contacting Vermont DOC (doc.vermont.gov). Vermont prisoners in Mississippi are subject to Mississippi's conditions, which differ significantly from Vermont's. Vermont's contract should specify what oversight applies.
Can families visit someone in Vermont solitary?
Visiting is typically restricted during restrictive housing, though Vermont's policy preserves some access. Contact the specific Vermont DOC facility to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. Vermont facilities are spread across the state (South Burlington, Rutland, St. Johnsbury, St. Albans Town, Springfield). For prisoners transferred to Mississippi, visiting requires traveling out of state. Vermont DOC contact information is at doc.vermont.gov.
What can families do if someone is in VT solitary?
Use Vermont DOC's offender search at doc.vermont.gov to find your person -- and note whether they have been transferred to Mississippi. For Vermont prisoners: contact the facility for housing category and Review Matrix schedule. File grievances for review failures, mental health service denial, or policy violations. If your person is a youth in adult prison conditions, contact the ACLU of Vermont (acluvt.org) immediately. Contact the Vermont Prisoners' Rights Office through Vermont Legal Aid for advocacy support. ---