WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) - New data from the Department of Corrections shows Vermont’s prison population has reached its highest level since 2019, raising questions about whether a crime crackdown is leading to prison overcrowding.

During the pandemic, the state worked to release as many inmates as possible, dropping the headcount to as low as 1,238 people in 2021. Today, the state’s six prisons are up to 1,632 people.

Interim Corrections Commissioner Jon Murad says Vermont’s prisons are operating over capacity in several areas. “Our detainee population -- those who have not yet been sentenced -- has risen a lot; 53% and 103% for men and women respectively, versus about four years ago. That’s pretty extraordinary,” Murad said.

Advocates for incarcerated people, like Vermont Defender Genera

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