Vermont is seeking a new developer to build a 15-bed locked facility for youth involved in the criminal justice system. The request for proposal comes a few months after the Department for Children and Families dropped its plans to build the facility in Vergennes.

The RFP, issued Oct. 17, puts the responsibility for finding a location, as well as securing any local permits or zoning changes, on the developer.

Vermont hasn’t had a permanent facility for justice-involved youth since closing Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in 2020 amid allegations that staff used excessive force against kids.

The state has struggled to replace Woodside, encountering local pushback in Vergennes and, before that, in Newbury, where it first attempted to build a six-bed facility.

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