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Act 248 Info

The focus of the Public Safety Program is to keep the community and past victims safe while providing treatment and supervision to individuals with developmental disabilities who pose a risk to public safety.  The Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) coordinates statewide supports for offenders with developmental disabilities through a variety of activities. For a commonly asked questions regarding Act 248 refer to the Act 248 Info sheet.

  • Liaison with courts, Vermont Department of Corrections, families, guardians, and agencies when individuals with disabilities are going through the criminal justice system.
  • Referral and program development to meet the needs of community safety while providing supervision and treatment to offenders.
  • Supervision of offenders committed to the Commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) under Act 248.
  • Ongoing training and support of case managers and direct support staff who work with offenders through quarterly meetings of the Sex Offender Discussion Group.
  • Investigation and research on best practices for supervision of sex offenders.

The statute related to Public Safety Program is Act 248, Title 18: Health, Chapter 206: Care for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Vermont’s civil commitment law for people with intellectual disabilities.

For information on Public Safety Program, contact the Developmental Disabilities Services Division Public Safety Specialist at 802-241-0407.

Policies & Guidelines

Publications

  • Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS) Manual
    The Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS) (McGrath, Cummings & Lasher, 2012) is a revised version of the SOTNPS (McGrath & Cummings, 2001, 2003, 2008). Developed through assistance grants from the USDOJ-Office of Justice Programs.  The SOTIPS is a statistically-derived dynamic measure designed to aid clinicians, correctional caseworkers, and probation and parole officers in assessing risk, treatment and supervision needs, and progress among adult males who have been convicted of one or more qualifying sexual offense and committed at least one of these sexual offenses after their 18th birthday.
  • Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS) Score Sheet - This sheet is to be used in conjunction with the SOTIPS Manual.

Forms

Forms for the Public Safety Program can be found with the Developmental Disabilities Services Division Forms or in the Document Library on this website.