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This commentary is written by James Duff Lyall, executive director of the ACLU of Vermont.<\/em><\/p>\n Our communities are still struggling through the pandemic and its harmful impacts on mental health, substance use and affordable housing. It\u2019s clear that we still need to do far more to support one another and to build healthy, safe and vibrant communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Vermont voters know this. If there had been any doubt, last week\u2019s 2022 primary election results established conclusively that voters expect their elected officials to reform our criminal legal system by investing in people over prisons.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, in the Chittenden County state\u2019s attorney race, the incumbent \u2014 Vermont\u2019s first and only elected prosecutor to reform our wealth-based bail system and take action to address persistent racial disparities in traffic stops \u2014 was challenged by a so-called \u201ctough on crime\u201d candidate.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the end, voters in each of Chittenden County\u2019s thirty-six districts sent an emphatic message<\/a> in favor of criminal justice reform, reiterating their support for humane, equitable and community-based solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n And it wasn\u2019t just Chittenden County. In other local and statewide races, candidates who advocated for reimagining public safety prevailed, while those who sought to turn back the clock did not.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The message is clear: the people of Vermont have long since turned the page on the failed \u201ctough on crime\u201d policies of the past. They want their elected officials to reduce our reliance on prisons and reimagine public safety for the sake of our communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As one local commentator said, the 2022 primary election results represent a \u201cbig win for criminal justice reform.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Now is the time to come together and work on solutions. And we know what those solutions are. We know we need to significantly expand investments and strategies for addressing a mental health crisis \u2014 Burlington police alone reported<\/a> a ninety percent increase in mental health incidents over the past decade. That\u2019s not something the police can or should be expected to solve.\u00a0<\/p>\n We know we need to improve access to drug treatment and expand harm reduction strategies. More Vermonters died of overdoses last year than ever before, and it\u2019s time to respond with the bold and compassionate ideas<\/a> Vermont is known for.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We know we need long-term investments to address the severe shortage of affordable housing \u2014 the number of people without permanent shelter doubled during the pandemic<\/a> and people are turning down jobs in Vermont for lack of housing<\/a>. The short-term investments and initiatives Vermont has pursued have not been up to the task \u2014 it is obvious we need to do more.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, we know we need to adopt commonsense gun laws. Law enforcement voices calling for those reforms should be at the table in the coming legislative biennium.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n These are the things that ensure safe, thriving communities and that\u2019s what Vermont voters rightfully expect their elected officials to prioritize<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n They are also calling for further progress in reforming our criminal legal system with evidence-based, data-informed policies. These include ending our wealth-based system of bail, reducing barriers to successful community re-entry for people leaving prison, and prioritizing community-based justice programs over traditional, punitive systems that have not made our communities safer.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, Vermonters also expect police to be accountable<\/a> for their actions and to serve all our communities equitably and with integrity. We still don\u2019t have the policies in place to foster a stronger culture of accountability in law enforcement, and all of us \u2014 law enforcement officials included \u2014 should have a strong interest in changing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fact remains that we as a society have drastically underfunded our social safety net for generations. We can\u2019t expect police and corrections officers to make up for that, or to fix it for us \u2014 and we can\u2019t keep ignoring the disproportionate harm<\/a> done to BIPOC communities, particularly Black Vermonters, when we do.\u00a0<\/p>\n We invite everyone who calls Vermont home \u2014 including those in law enforcement who recognize the necessity of moving forward together \u2014 to join us in ensuring that communities have the resources and reforms they need to thrive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our journalism is made possible by member donations. If you value what we do, please contribute and help keep this vital resource accessible to all. <\/p>\n<\/div>\nDid you know VTDigger is a nonprofit?<\/h2>\n