Before you start
This guide walks a Burlington resident through the stretch between being told to take an anger management class and showing up for the first session. It assumes your case, if you have one, is in Chittenden County. If you are taking a class by choice, skip to Step 3.
Keep one folder, paper or digital, for everything in this process. You will be glad of it later.
Step 1: Get the exact wording
Find the document that mentions anger management. It might be a sentencing order, a list of probation conditions, or a written agreement from a family matter. Look for specifics: a number of sessions, a deadline, the type of program, whether proof has to be filed with the court or given to an officer.
If you cannot find your copy, the Chittenden Criminal Division is at 32 Cherry St., Suite 300 in Burlington, per the Judiciary's page cited below. It keeps weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays, and closes for training from noon to 4:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. Call ahead or go in the morning.
Step 2: Talk to probation before you pay anyone
If you are under supervision, contact Burlington Probation and Parole, which the Department of Corrections lists at 50 Cherry Street, phone (802) 863-7350. Tell your officer you are looking at classes and ask:
- Are there any formats you would not accept, such as video-only?
- Do you want to receive attendance updates directly?
- Is there a deadline I need to plan around?
Only the court or your probation officer decides whether a particular program fits your order. Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date.
If you have no lawyer and the paperwork itself is confusing, the Judiciary's Access and Resource Center offers free information about state court processes and help with forms. In-person help is at the Costello Courthouse by appointment; calls and emails are answered weekdays, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Step 3: Make a short list
Use this directory to find three or four providers who serve the Burlington area. Look at where each one meets. An office on the far side of Shelburne Road or out in Essex Junction may be a short hop for one person and a long bus ride for another. Video sessions can solve that, but only if your officer is fine with them.
Step 4: Call each provider with the same questions
Asking every provider the same set of questions makes them easier to compare. Try these:
1. How many sessions does the class have, and how long is each? 2. Group or individual? What size are the groups? 3. When do sessions meet, and is there a weekend or evening option? 4. What written proof do you give, and when? 5. Can you send updates to my probation officer? 6. What is the total cost, and what happens if I miss a session?
Take notes during each call. A provider that cannot give a clear answer about attendance records is worth crossing off.
Step 5: Check your choice against your order
Lay your notes next to the order from Step 1. Does the number of sessions match? Will the class finish before your deadline? If anything is unclear, take the comparison back to your officer or attorney before you enroll. It is far easier to switch now than halfway through.
Step 6: Enroll and set up your records
When you sign up, ask for written confirmation of the start date and schedule. Put every session on your calendar, with travel time. Burlington winters can slow the drive in from Milton or Hinesburg, and downtown parking is tight on weekdays, so plan to arrive early.
Start a simple log: date, session number, and anything the facilitator handed out. Keep receipts.
Step 7: Attend, and keep proof moving
Go to every session you can. If you must miss one, tell the provider in advance and ask how to make it up. After the last session, get your completion paperwork, make copies, and deliver it wherever your order says, whether that is your officer on Cherry Street or the court. Keep your own copy in the folder.
Step 8: Close the loop
A week or so after you hand in proof, check that it was received. A short call to your officer or the clerk's office can save trouble months later. Then keep your folder; you may need it again at a review hearing.
Drive and travel times mentioned on this page are approximate.