Joint Judiciary Committee to discuss rising prison costs

FAIRBANKS — Members of the Alaska Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee will meet in Fairbanks Monday to focus on Senate Bill 64, a corrections omnibus bill.

The meeting is from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 4 in Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Chambers and is the committee’s second interim hearing on corrections and criminal justice reform. Public testimony may be given at 2:30 p.m. by phoning (855) 463-5009. Watch the meeting on akl.tv.

In a press release announcing the meeting, Senate Judiciary Chair John Coghill, R-North Pole, said the bill’s goals are less crime, less cost and better public safety.

“At our current growth rate, lawmakers will face funding another prison within three years. The state must either start planning to build a new $250 million prison or look at proven practices that reduce recidivism,” Coghill said. “With that goal in mind, the Senate Judiciary Committee introduced Senate Bill 64 to address some of these problems and slow the growth of our corrections budget. Most importantly, Senate Bill 64 emphasizes accountability and personal responsibility.”

He said the bill models corrections reforms adopted by tough-on-crime states like Texas.

House Judiciary Chair Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, said low-level, non-violent drug and alcohol offenders who could be better helped through cheaper community programs are overwhelming Alaska’s prisons. He said SB 64 would move Alaska toward proven and cost-effective rehabilitation alternatives.

“Despite downward trends in crime, our prison population is rising approximately 3 percent each year, and two out of every three prisoners are re-incarcerated within three years,” Keller said. “Failure to address these trends will require Alaska to construct another prison in the near future and bear the increased financial and societal burdens.”

During Monday’s hearing, legislators will look at population growth, budget growth and recidivism. Members will also hear from a panel of experts on the prisoner re-entry process, including transitional programs, mental health and substance abuse treatment. Another panel will discuss community supervision such as Probation Accountability with Certain Enforcement (PACE), Sobriety 24/7 and alternatives to incarceration.

Senate Bill 64 also would establish a commission to analyze and evaluate the effect of laws and practices of the criminal justice system to begin the process of determining whether Alaskans are receiving good value for the criminal justice dollars spent.

For more information, contact Jordan Shilling in Senator Coghill’s office at (907) 451-2997.