Dear Governor Shumlin and Secretary Racine,

I had written to you previously and requested assistance and received a response from the Governor’s
office, which I do appreciate. At this time I write again, in a more desperate plea for help. I’m enclosing
an affidavit submitted to the Orleans Superior Court in a Request for “Relief from Abuse” for a
vulnerable adult, which was denied. As a woman’s advocate of many years I have seen women obtain
relief from abuse orders on just one of the many verified claims included in this affidavit. I’ve also
included letters from friends and employers who can testify to the kind of person I am, or was. The kind
of person I will be remains to be seen. For there is only so much a mother can take before she becomes
a broken woman and only God knows how much that is.

The abuses of the “Safe Choices”program have been known and reported on locally for many years, so
much so that the communities and courts in the surrounding areas have become numb to the stories.
Also many people assume that the numerous investigative reports have “exposed the abuse” and law
enforcement officials, government officials or Vermont Human Services, Adult Protective Services or any
of the many government funded agencies having the authority to act will do so. Yet they don’t act and
the abuses go on and on and on.

Governor Shumlin, I have heard that you yourself suffered from a learning disability. Mr. Secretary, I
have heard your speeches on the monopoly of “designated” human service agencies. Governor Shumlin,
I know that you are aware of the very high rate of incarceration in this state as well as the country. Act
248 civil commitment is an especially dangerous form of incarceration. Court orders are vague and give
broad powers to the designated agencies with oversight from people who rarely if ever have contact
with the individual committed. Legal Guardians are swiftly removed by DAIL if they try to advocate for
services not provided or complain about inappropriate treatment. The programs in this part of the state
are very different from what you are probably used to seeing and the complaints have been so
numerous it has become monotonous.

My son is one of a group of 200 men identified as “Risk to Public Safety” 50 of which are placed on Act
248 like my son Bill Bennett. Each of the two hundred cost the state $100,000 a year. Many of these
men have been placed after an assessment by a therapist, in my son’s case it was Saul Schoenberg. Mr.
Schoenberg then treats the men in a 24/7 supervised program which has one therapeutic element which
is a sex offender “group therapy”. Men with many convictions are thrown in with disabled men with no
charges of any kind, just disabilities.

Mr. Schoenberg also runs a program through corrections called “Resolutions”, of Resolutions
Incorporated. He is in a unique position to asses then treat. He is also in the unique position to
recommend further treatment or release. I would be very interested to know how much money our
state is paying Resolutions Inc. with all the trainings, treatment and assessments of Vermonters. I
believe the numbers will be staggering. As far as I can tell he has no oversight.
As I pore over my son’s files kept by Northeast Kingdom Human Services I can tell you that there was
information gained early on in Mr. Schoenberg’s treatment that would undoubtedly changed the course
of my son’s treatment and resulted in a loss of financial gain to Mr. Schoenberg. More importantly it
would have facilitated real insight into my son’s problematic behavior. This information was known to
those in Northeast Kingdom Human Services as well.

Each day I fluctuate from hope to despair many times over. I wake up in the morning a very different
person than I was just a few months ago. I am one day closer to homelessness with each day as I pay for
attorneys and doctors. My $700 Ford Escort has served me well and each day that it starts and gets me
where I need to go, it’s another miracle, while the Department of Aging and Disability and the
designated agencies involved have unlimited resources to draw upon.

I certainly understand the great responsibilities required of you both at this time in our Country and
State’s affairs, this is a time of great upheaval and tough decisions for all Vermonters and Americans.
You have an opportunity to be the heroes that we so desperately need to stand up for the truly
vulnerable people of our state and to save taxpayers millions of dollars.

I am writing this letter to you in hopes that it will move you to show mercy. And though at this
particular moment I sit in despair and disbelief I will do my best to fight for justice in every way possible.
What I hope for is justice given, not forced upon the state at great taxpayer expense and public
humiliation.

Having said all this, I intend to form public protests and gain the attention of the wider media. And
though my son has been isolated for many years, I have not. My son has sisters and brothers who have
friends; there are men who have escaped the clutches of this abusive program with the support of
caring individuals willing to take on a battle with no compensation and at great personal risk, as well as
reporters and other interested citizens. I believe many more people will step up when given a practical
way to make a difference.

Now I must go to meet my son in a parking lot along with his grandparents and siblings for a visit where
we will be guarded by several NEKHS employees as if we are criminals.

Sincerely and Bitterly,

Tracy Gilman

A Loving Mother

Respected Professional

And Hopeful Constituent