By Alfred King, Journalism Guild Writer

Vermont is reducing the use of solitary confinement in prisons, striving to use it only “as a last resort,” wcax.com in Burlington reports.

It’s part of a movement across the nation, modifying policies practiced for decades.

The goal is to rehabilitate rather than punish, said Mike Touchette, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Corrections.

“Our focus is to keep people in the most integrated and least-restrictive setting possible but commensurate with the safety needs,” Touchette said. “So, it’s an individual, case-by-case basis, and what we’re able to achieve with that individual, and quite frankly, are they willing to be good partners with us and engage in conversations and therapy,”