Ah, the First Snow

It is here proving that God is intelligent for having invented snow tires. Here's the house after shoveling out and raking the roof Thanksgiving morning.

"Best Interests of the Child" Will Be the Legal Standard for DCF In Protecting Vermont Children

After the debacle of two toddlers in DCF care dying after being reunited with abusive parents, the Vermont legislature is poised to enact legislation mandating that a child's best interests will always govern decision making by state agencies dealing with the well-being of minors. The state will also likely adopt a version of the Massachusetts system which allows for placement with relatives, friends and teachers if a responsible parent is not available to assume custody of the child. Privacy rules for Vermont agencies like DCF and the police will also likely be relaxed to allow agencies to share information about children to insure there are no problems being hidden by one agency from another. Kudos to State Senator Dick Sears, D-Bennington, for spearheading the legislative changes.

And a big, wet raspberry to DCF Commissioner Ken Schatz for failing to grasp the priority of the BIC standard and make it the cultural norm at DCF.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/25/lawmakers-prepare-child-protection-ideas/70099034/

First Real Snow

It's coming down and I have visions of getting out the roof rake to get the heavy wet snow off my roof. Then it will be out the door and along the river on snow shoes. Happy Winter to all!!!

What Trumps A Child's Best Interests In Vermont Officialdom and the Courts???

Why reuniting the child with its abusive parents at all costs, of course. Unbelievable; ridiculous; absurd you say?! Well,  according to an independent investigation ordered by Gov. Schumlin into the recent deaths of two Vermont toddlers in the care of and under the supervision of the Vermont Department of Children and Families, their deaths were caused by just that. The report stated, ‘‘An incorrect perception appears to exist among casework staff, the Family Courts, and others in the system that ‘reunification at all costs’ is the formal policy of the department’’ and ‘‘takes priority over the best interests of the child,’’  

Any child services worker, social worker, lawyer, judge or law enforcement officer should know a priori that the best interests of the child is the star that guides caregivers and child protection professionals through the deep, dark night of child abuse.

Will the workers at DCF who so miserably failed these children be held accountable? I would think and hope so. But no, ‘‘We do not look at these matters as ‘somebody did something wrong,’ ’’ according to DCF Commissioner Ken Schatz. Rather, Schatz opined, ‘‘We look forward to a process of improvement. I know our staff are very committed to that,’’ Wrongful death suits are pending, being brought by the very parents whose alleged abuse caused the toddlers' deaths. Go figure.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/22/report-overtaxed-social-workers-police-failed-children/4LGRSzdEt7hZRzRNd6GrdO/story.html

Beware of Frost Covered Car Windows

From Texas--car thieves tried to jump into a car warming up in cold weather thinking it was unoccupied. NOT. There was a police detective sitting in the car getting ready to go to work. If it wasn't for bad luck they'd have no luck at all.http://a.msn.com/r/2/BBexQlB?a=1&m=en-us

When Police Cross the Addiction Line

The Colchester Police Department veteran who was in charge of the evidence locker at the station raided it to apparently pay for his heroin habit. Cpl. Kinney has entered a drug rehab program. Smart move prior to entering a plea in Federal, yes, FEDERAL court. He's facing a very real ten years in prison. Contrast this with an unreal prison term with likely early probation if prosecuted in the Vermont system. The Feds take crime and punishment a bit more seriously than Vermont does. The nightmare of any Vermont criminal is to be ensnared in the Federal criminal system. Good luck to Kinney--hopefully, he'll beat the big H and return in some way to a productive life.

Honor Felon Not Home Yet

Followup to Judge Pratt's decision to allow a felon from Iowa to travel back on his own to Iowa. The fellow still can't make bail here and sits in our local gaol. He has a status hearing on November 17th. Stay tuned.

Bring the Boys Home Now!!

From prisons in Kentucky and Arizona that is. Due to lack of prison space here in Vermont, the state houses close to 500 prisoners in for-profit run prisons in those two states. Proponents of the homeward migration cite the distance prisoners are kept from family members and the fact that the two prisons are for profit run by Corrections Corporation of America. Profit making or not, CCA can house a prisoner for thousands of dollars less than the cost of in state incarceration. To house the returned prisoners now would require either the building of a new prison which Vermont legislators claim can't be afforded, OR releasing enough prisoners in-state to make room for the returnees. Now, we already have a major recidivism problem with the cons living in Vermont---a 92% recidivism rate by the second year post-release. We don't need more criminals out who should be in.

What to do?? Build medium security prison camps to house the ruffians. Quansit style huts surrounded by barbed wire. Stalags without Col. Klink and Sgt. Schultz. Humane, secure facilities that won't cost an arm and a leg like major concrete and steel prisons do.

Activist quote of the month.  “Here they are making money from imprisoned people and have separated them from their family,”    CCA does make money running prisons. I don't have a problem with that in principle.  BUT, I thought it was a prisoner's criminal act that separated him from his family----and society. Bring them home without more new prison space? Thanks, but no thanks.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2014/11/09/coalition-wants-vt-prisoners-home/18779829/