vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

12.31.2008

New boss at Corrections

Andy Pallito, who's been acting commissioner of Corrections for a month or so and has been with the department since 2001, had plenty of time to see exactly what he was getting into, but he's taking the job of commissioner anyway.

Being the state's head jailer is a bit of a no-win job. Plenty of things can go wrong with the volatile population at any time and nobody notices when things are going right. Like a hockey goalie or a copy editor.

Pallito, like his predecessor Rob Hofmann, has a management background more than a prison background. Unlike his predecessor, he's kept a low profile.

This is a job of particular prominence because any time something goes wrong (an escape, a prison riot, a probation recommendation that backfires), it's big and dangerous. The state spends quite a wad of money on Corrections and there is tremendous pressure to pull of feats that are in complete conflict with one another: lock away the bad guys, but don't spend much money doing it.

Is this a good appointment?

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 11:11 AM |

Comments:

What is on his resume?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:53 AM, December 31, 2008

AP will only be successful if he can keep the corrections restructuring plan from imploding around him, which he won't be able to.

A big part of the corrections restructure plan was to place more non-violent offenders back in communities and let the communities provide them the resources to become good citizens. Problem is though, Vermont communities' resources are drying up awfully fast. That will scuttle the corrections plan quite a bit.

Evidence? Even restructuring plan author Dick Sear's own community is rejecting providing additional community resources to help released inmates find housing.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:06 PM, December 31, 2008

We spend more per prisoner than we do per student.

We should make every effort to correct that problem.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:23 PM, December 31, 2008

We all know it is the goal of corrections to pass the burden on to the local communities and have them pay for it. The state is famous for passing the buck to make their budget look good. Just wait until they raid the education fund instead of returning the money back to the taxpayers.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:01 PM, December 31, 2008

Not only is the state passing the problem along to the communities, it is working hard to protect the "burbs" from their share of the population and driving the great percentage of it to the older municipalities. In particular the older small urban areas are being penalized by this "stick it to the poor towns and cities" mentality. It is a practice that is in fact criminal!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:04 PM, December 31, 2008

Meet the new hack.

Same as the old hack.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:26 PM, December 31, 2008

Anonymous said...

"AP will only be successful if he can keep the corrections restructuring plan from imploding around him, which he won't be able to."

In other words, he's another one of doogie's incompetent hacks who's doomed to failure, but it will be Dick Sears' fault when he does.

Thanks for clearin' that up, little fella.

"A big part of the corrections restructure plan was to place more non-violent offenders back in communities and let the communities provide them the resources to become good citizens. Problem is though, Vermont communities' resources are drying up awfully fast. That will scuttle the corrections plan quite a bit.

Evidence? Even restructuring plan author Dick Sear's own community is rejecting providing additional community resources to help released inmates find housing."

In other words, people want somethin' for nothing and it's only a good idea if it's done somewhere other than their neighborhood.

Gee, that's gotta be a first. Stop the presses.

If it's cheaper to find alternate housing for nonviolent offenders who qualify for the program than it is to incarcerate them, how's it gonna cost more, little fella?

Nice try.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:36 PM, December 31, 2008

Anonymous said...

"..Just wait until they raid the education fund instead of returning the money back to the taxpayers."

Well, that way, when there's a shortfall in the education fund, they can blame it on the VNEA, too.

They never stop not thinkin'.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:39 PM, December 31, 2008

"They never stop not thinkin'."

You never stop yappin'.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:09 PM, December 31, 2008

Get rid of the "fookin'" troll coop please Terri.

You said no one was more anxious to be rid of him than the kids at the Freep.

Prove it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:15 PM, December 31, 2008

One of the keys to getting Corrections on a sustainable fiscal pathway hinges on the ability to successfully integrate offenders with communities after they serve their time. Roughly half of all offenders who are released re-offend and are incarcerated again. To break this destructive cycle of recidivism, and in so doing help to stabilize fragile families, requires a leader who has a deep understanding of human services supports and systems. Pallito’s background is that of a fiscal officer, not one of human services. He is a gentleman and bright, but lacks to any degree the understanding of human service systems necessary to achieve successful community integration of offenders.

# Posted by:

VDLamoille | 9:43 PM, December 31, 2008

The community piece (aside from housing, jobs, and so forth) is actually the most difficult. The local mental health agencies (at least in Southern Vermont) seem to think that if they can actually provide meaningful services to those coming out on furlough or parole, they'll become a secondary supervising agency for these men. (I say men, because the Dept. of Corrections actually has good programs, such as Tapestry, for women, that have shown to reduce some of the overall statistics). I feel they not only withhold treatment for these male offenders, but actually work toward creating situations of violations so the men are sent right back into the prison system as quickly as possible.
There isn't a commissioner to be found who can overcome that sort of collaborative effort that has been put in place for failure; it would take a restructuring, new and solid directives, with the blessing of the legislature and intentions that could be enforced. Until that happens - we may as well have no commissioner. He's going to need more than good intentions; he's going to need the cooperation and support of other systems that at least for now, could care less.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:23 PM, December 31, 2008

VDLamoille said...

"..Pallito’s background is that of a fiscal officer, not one of human services. He is a gentleman and bright, but lacks to any degree the understanding of human service systems necessary to achieve successful community integration of offenders."

In other words, he's a typical doogie pick - incompetent and unqualified but a loyal doogie devotee.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:29 PM, December 31, 2008

So much anonymous troll trash, so little time.

Anonymous said...

"Get rid of the "fookin'" troll coop please Terri.

You said no one was more anxious to be rid of him than the kids at the Freep.

Prove it."

Gee, nameless nitwits with bupkis spewin' psychotic slop and makin' delusional demands.

What are the odds.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:33 PM, December 31, 2008

Criminal justice in Vermont is a joke. The pointy head liberals are always babbling about "reforming" the un-reformable, just spend more money, blah, blah...meanwhile multiple-offenders just go about their business, breaking and entering, drugs, sex crimes, etc. What we need to do is to make prison a place NO ONE would EVER want to return to! There are some very reasonably-priced places we could send the scum to, like Angola, Loiusiana for example!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:37 AM, January 01, 2009

Anonymous said...
"... He's going to need more than good intentions; he's going to need the cooperation and support of other systems that at least for now, could care less."

Very true, to get that support requires a secretary at AHS who understands the interrelationship of the various components within the Agency. It requires not only a working knowledge of the components but the skill to make them work as a system.

# Posted by:

VDLamoille | 8:24 AM, January 01, 2009

"Gee, nameless nitwits with bupkis spewin' psychotic slop and makin' delusional demands."

You obviously have no idea how ironic you are.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:38 AM, January 01, 2009

What is it Terri?

Do we all get to play by Coop's rules and spew abusive garbage now?

Tell us little lady.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:54 AM, January 01, 2009

Whoever is calling Mr. Pollito a Douglas hack should look closer and see that he has been at the department since 2001 - while Howard Dean was still Governor.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:28 AM, January 01, 2009

Anonymous

"Whoever is calling Mr. Pollito a Douglas hack should look closer and see that he has been at the department since 2001 - while Howard Dean was still Governor."

Really. And did Governor Dean name him Commissioner of Corrections, little fella?

Nice try. I didn't say he couldn't be on the team, little factually-challenged fella. I just said he shouldn't be the starting QB.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:10 AM, January 01, 2009

Anonymous said...

"You obviously have no idea how ironic you are."

And you obviously have no idea at all, little fella. Stick to sharpenin' your steno skills.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:14 AM, January 01, 2009

Phil Scott should step up to the plate as well and get more money for the communities he decided to place more offenders back into. Scott was another big backer of dismantling corrections in favor of communities doing more. He's already practiced by doing a pretty good job dismantling Waterbury's heart and soul.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:29 AM, January 01, 2009

Move inmates out and the rest of us in. The quality of life might get metter for us, worse for them.

# Posted by:

Badmouthgoose | 1:06 PM, January 01, 2009

If the current rates continue, we will all cycle in and out soon enough; once that happens, we can make the same claim to once being an inmate, as many other state staffers can make to once being an employee of the DOC.
Part of the trouble with some of the other offices in trying to reshape the flow in and out of corrections, is that too many decisions are being made by former DOC staff who now hold key positions in other state offices - and I begin to think the only job the commissioner really has is in cost controls - ergo; this is the second in a row who has a financial background and an utter absence of any experience in human services. It's about the money.. and/or, It's not really about alternatives to prisons, or treatment, recidivism rates, or anything else. It's about how many we can cram into the same eugenics barrel and still come out in the black...
So, be careful what you wish for...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:40 PM, January 01, 2009

Anonymous said...

"Do we all get to play by Coop's rules and spew abusive garbage now?"

Nice try, little nameless nitwit fella. The archives clearly demonstrate that you were anonymously spewin' psychotic slop long before I got here.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:01 PM, January 01, 2009

bubba said...

"Criminal justice in Vermont is a joke...."

In other words, bubbakis, you're as caseless and clueless with respect to this issue as you are with everything else under the sun.

Thanks for clearin' that up, little fella.

Always a pleasure.

The pointy head liberals are always babbling about "reforming" the un-reformable, just spend more money, blah, blah...meanwhile multiple-offenders just go about their business, breaking and entering, drugs, sex crimes, etc. What we need to do is to make prison a place NO ONE would EVER want to return to! There are some very reasonably-priced places we could send the scum to, like Angola, Loiusiana for example!

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:08 PM, January 01, 2009

"The archives clearly demonstrate that you were anonymously spewin' psychotic slop long before I got here."

Sorry to disapoint you sick, you've been trolling at the Free Press longer than I have been here.

If you can't pay attention please be quiet while the adults talk.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:25 PM, January 01, 2009

What a swell way for Terri to start the new year by getting rid of Coop.

Failing that, maybe she could just quit her job and let someone who will deal with the problem take her place.

Am I goin' tot fast for ya little lady?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:30 PM, January 01, 2009

Ahhhhh;

A brand new day full of opportunity for JWCoop10 to be an abusive, obnoxious troll.

He knows full well that Terri and the rest of the boys and girls will do nothing about him.

But heck fire, maybe they will do his biding and get rid of anonymous posting again.

Nice to have the priorities of Terri and crew about this blog so crystal clear.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:49 AM, January 02, 2009

If you started your own blog, you could have it the way you wanted and be satisfied with how its run. Just a suggestion...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:32 PM, January 02, 2009

The job of Corrections Commissioner is a tough one, to say the least.

I've been impressed with Mr. Pallito in my meetings with him.

That he has a numbers background is a good thing, in my book. We need to find creative ways to reduce costs while simultaneously finding more effective methods of keeping our communities safe. We cannot just rely on prisons. Some of the alternatives include expanded drug courts, transitional housing, and building of a work camp. Already, we’re seeing the beginnings of those smart alternatives being implemented.

Last year we passed into law the beginnings of a new approach. It calls for alternatives to prison that save money. The state will pocket some of the savings, and reinvest the rest into further cost-saving alternatives. All told, we're on track to save $50 to $200 million over ten years.

Mr. Pallito was a part of those discussions, and I congratulate him in his new post.

We must continue to work together to ensure that we reduce costs by finding effective alternatives to prison that reduce crime.

Rep. Jason P. Lorber (D-Burlington)

# Posted by:

Unknown | 8:31 PM, January 03, 2009

Jason: You are a big part of the blame when the DOC plan goes kapooey. Good luck.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:41 AM, January 04, 2009

Rep. Lorber, apparently a guy named jwcoop, who fancies himself a Democrat, seems to think he knows more than you do about Mr. Pallito and insists that Pallito is an "incompetent and unqualified hack." I think you need to check with Mr. Coop before expressing an opinion on anything about the Douglas Administration, don't you? After all, you are just a veteran Democratic member of the Legislature; Coop, on the other hand, is the authoritative holder-of-all-knowledge and official policy spokesperson for the Vermont Democratic Party.

If he says Mr. Pallito is an incompetent and unqualified hack, who the hell are you to be "impressed" by him.

Geez, get on board, will ya?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:08 PM, January 04, 2009

Anonymous....

"...I think you need to check with Mr. Coop before expressing an opinion on anything about the Douglas Administration, don't you? After all, you are just a veteran Democratic member of the Legislature; Coop, on the other hand, is the authoritative holder-of-all-knowledge and official policy spokesperson for the Vermont Democratic Party."

Well, that's mighty sweet of ya to say, little factually-challenged fella. Unnecessary and uncalled for, but nice, all the same.

Still, I'm sure that Rep. Lorber takes comfort in the knowledge that he's got the nameless-nitwit likes of you in his corner, little fella.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:51 PM, January 04, 2009

"Still, I'm sure that Rep. Lorber takes comfort in the knowledge that he's got the nameless-nitwit likes of you in his corner, little fella."

Gee, little nitwit retard fella, I guess you didn't get it. Mr. Lorber is of the same political party you appear to shill for.
So, please do explain, little nitwit retard fella, why Mr. Lorber should be "impressed" by someone when you've already given the official Democratic-party-spokseperson decree that the person is an "incompetent and unqualified hack"?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:13 PM, January 04, 2009

Anonymous...

"Gee, little nitwit retard fella, I guess you didn't get it. Mr. Lorber is of the same political party you appear to shill for."

Appear being the operative word, little fella.

Heavens to Betsy, but you really are a tedious little twit when ya try to be clever, little factose-intolerant/slow on the uptake fella.

It's like watchin' molasses run up hill in January. Then there's the stench and screech of metal on metal as the gears try to turn.

Once again, feel free to produce any and all evidence of me claiming to speak for the Democratic Party, little fella.

Shoot. Feel free to point out just where and when Rep. Lorber claims to speak for anyone but Rep. Lorber for a warm up exercise while you're at it, bupkis boy.

I'd hate to see ya pull anythin' more than your usual brain-dead boners, bozo.

As always, pack some provisions, pitch a tent, unfurl that sleepin' bag and bring a few changes of clothes.

Assuming you ever manage to complete any of your previously assigned tasks, you're gonna be at it a while.

So much for your '09, little nameless-nitwit fella.

Ya know, you can start tryin' any time now. The Holidays are over.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:30 PM, January 04, 2009

Welcome to the Burlington Coop Press

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:07 AM, January 05, 2009

This comment has been removed by the author.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:48 AM, January 05, 2009

"Appear being the operative word, little fella."

Correct, because as much as you wanna be one of them, the Dem. party insiders wouldn't touch your raging-disability-medicated-freak-bipolar-liability ass with a 20-foot pole.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:56 PM, January 05, 2009

Anonymous...

""Appear being the operative word, little fella.""

"Correct, because as much as you wanna be one of them, the Dem. party insiders wouldn't touch your raging-disability-medicated-freak-bipolar-liability ass with a 20-foot pole."

Nice try.

In other words, little factually-challenged fella, what you're sayin' is that you're still dumb, you're still scum, ya still got bupkis and ya got no case and no clue.

Gee, thanks for clearin' that up.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:21 PM, January 05, 2009