An act relating to restructuring the Parole Board

S.237 restructures Vermont's Parole Board by establishing a five-member board (one full-time chair and four members) with new staffing requirements, including a staff attorney and additional administrative support. It mandates annual training for board members on topics like criminogenic behavior and trauma-informed practices, requires the board to submit its budget directly to the Governor, and sets new parole eligibility rules: offenders must have no pending criminal charges to qualify. The bill also clarifies victims’ rights to receive notification of parole hearings, testify, and receive the board’s decision, while allowing parolees to voluntarily relinquish parole status or benefit from earned time. These changes directly affect parole board operations, incarcerated individuals seeking release, crime victims, and parolees.