John Klar: Are Vermont's inmates victims of systemic racism, or are they just guilty?
By John Klar Eight men have recently been charged with very serious drug and firearm charges in Vermont: all from the Hartford, Connecticut area. These cases highlight the dangerous trade in drugs for guns. They also demonstrate that Vermont is not incarcerating people of color because of systemic racism, but in response to a very deadly opioid epidemic. Opioid fatalities in Vermont increased 33% over the last twelve months, from 82 as of September 2019 to 109 at September 2020. Alarming also is the increase in emergent care for opioid overdose as of Nov. 10 compared to the average rate over ...