MIDDLESEX, Vt. (WCAX) – The state of Vermont is heading back to the drawing board in building a new secure facility for troubled teens.
Since the closure of Woodside in 2020, the state has struggled to house young offenders.
Projects in Newbury and Vergennes fell through after zoning challenges.
The Department for Children and Families says a secure facility is an important missing piece of the puzzle and is putting a strain on Vermont’s criminal justice system.
So, the state is seeking a developer who would build the project and also run services in the facility.
They say building the proposed Green Mountain Youth Campus this way would be more efficient.
“It’s really a way of making sure the funds we are using are spent effectively. So we’re hoping to have it up out the gate so we’re not wondering and worrying whether this is something we can accomplish later on,” said Aryka Radke from DCF.
In addition to a small facility in Middlesex, the state is working to stand up a three-bed mental health facility for teens in Windham County.
