VT H0379

Incarcerated persons serving sentences of at least 15 years who have served a minimum of 15 years may petition the sentencing court for a sentence reduction, with expedited 45-day hearings for those with serious medical conditions or disabilities

Courts must consider multiple factors when ruling on petitions, including the petitioner's age at offense, rehabilitation efforts, victim impact statements, and whether the original sentence was enhanced for exercising trial rights

Vermont currently has 20% of its 851 sentenced offenders serving life sentences (165 total), exceeding the national average of approximately 1 in 7, with per capita incarceration costs of $134,218 annually

Mandatory minimums and plea agreements cannot preclude eligibility, the right to petition cannot be waived, and petition denials are appealable with re-filing permitted after 2-5 years

Department of Corrections must submit annual reports on cost savings with recommendations for reinvesting funds into victim services, recidivism reduction programs, and reentry initiatives, effective July 1, 2025