New women’s correctional facility could be coming to Essex [Video]

A new women’s prison could be coming to Vermont.One of the towns that’s being looked at as a possible destination is Essex.”We like to be on or near municipal utilities, close to public transit, and the size of the site we need, we’re looking at about 20 acres to get the billable area that we need,” said Tabrena Karish, Vermont Building and General Services’ project manager.Thursday night, there was a public meeting at the town of Essex for the state to discuss their plans.The planning commission team and the public were able to weigh their opinions on the presentation.State officials want to invest around $70 million into building a brand-new 158-bed facility.It would replace the existing Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington, which has been there for more than 50 years.”It was designed to be a men’s detention facility. But for the last several years, we’ve been using it …