Barre wary of early prisoner release

In Barre, where more than 300 former inmates live, the prospect of taking on more parolees and people on furlough is a sore subject. City officials say the presence of former offenders strains police services, drives up the crime rate and affects the quality of life. And they believe their community is among several in the state that have been unfairly burdened by the state’s placement of former inmates.

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Update on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 10:16AM by VCF Staff

Decades of frustration that date back to a decision to construct the county's criminal courthouse in the heart of their downtown boiled over in the Barre Opera House on Tuesday. More than 200 residents responded passionately to a legislative proposal they fear will solidify Barre's reputation as an "open-air prison," in the words of several speakers. Their reaction was both focused and emphatic: They want no part of a state cost-cutting plan that will result in the release of non-violent offenders, if it means those offenders will take up residence in Barre.

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