Palmer Correctional to be reopened

In a surprise move during testimony on House Bill 187 in the House State Affairs Committee on Thursday, Department of Corrections Commissioner Nancy Dahlstrom announced that a Request for Proposal issued in October of 2019 by DOC to house prisoners in the Lower 48 would be canceled. Dahlstrom also gave a timeline of 12 to 18 months to reopen the vacant Palmer Correctional Center outside of Sutton.

“Today I’m announcing publicly, and you are the first to hear it publicly, is that I have signed a notice of cancellation for that RFP,” said Dahlstrom. “I am not going to be awarding a contract. The timing of the committee today gave me the perfect opportunity to share this information with you.”

The timing of the announcement came as the committee was hearing a presentation from Rep. Zack Fields (D — Anchorage) on HB 187 which would prohibit sending Alaskan prisoners Outside and/or to private prisons. Dahstrom’s welcome interruption during questioning also illuminated a pilot project for a Community Resource Center for reentry. The estimation for the pilot project Dahlstrom listed as 90 days, but said that she hopes the Palmer Correctional Center can be reopened sooner than within 18 months.

“I will tell you that we are going to accelerate that as quick as we safely can,” said Dahlstrom.

Dahlstrom told the committee that over 51 percent of the prison population remains unsentenced and that the state’s prisons are populated at 97.3 percent as of Thursday. With 15 Correctional Officers queued to begin work and 90 positions remaining vacant, PCC would require an additional 80 COs to become operational. Dahlstrom said that the DOC has instituted a $5,000 hiring bonus for new COs and hope to be able to add funds for recruitment and advertising.

“What we’ve heard today is good news. I want you to know this is very good news,” said Rep. George Rauscher (R — Sutton).

Rauscher hoped that $250,000 could be allocated for recruitment of COs to be hired for the currently closed PCC. PCC closed in 2016 but was the subject of appropriation of $16 million to reopen the facility in HB 49, which passed in April of last year.

“I talked to the chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on DOC today to see if we could find room. I actually asked for a higher figure than that for recruitment funds for correctional officers so I hope that that subcommittee can find those funds,” Fields told Rauscher.

The only exceptions Fields listed in HB 187 to send Alaskan prisoners out of state are for medical necessities that inmates be housed closer to treatment unavailable in Alaska. Rep. Sharon Jackson has added an amendment that would allow for prisoners sentenced to 99 years or more to be sent to outside prisons if it would come at a significant cost savings for the state of Alaska. Fields noted that nearly half of the states have also passed legislation preventing prisoners from being housed out of state.

“Last year we passed an important piece of legislation, HB 49, to strengthen sentences. That bill also included language to improve reentry programs and the bill before you today ensures that we can incarcerate and provide reentry programs to prisoners here in Alaska,” said Fields. “I think at this point the risks the safety risks of private prisons are well understood.”

Fields detailed the history of Alaskan prisoners being housed outside. The practice was seen as a temporary solution but introduced prison gangs into Alaska after inmates were released, leading to the construction of Goose Creek Correctional Center to increase Alaska’s prisoner capacity. Fields presented a quote from then-Gov. Frank Murkowski.

“Over a decade of gridlock has led to the failure to improve of what was supposed to be a temporary solution of sending prisoners to Arizona… finally, this bill will generate good paying, long term jobs for akns and end the export of over $14 mil per year to Arizona,” said Murkowski.

Fields noted the consistent testimony between spouses of inmates, correctional officers and former inmates on the dangerous conditions in private prisons. Fields noted the multiple reentry and rehabilitation coalitions existing in Alaska and their importance to reducing recidivism. Coalitions working with inmates to maintain their connections with family are deterred by prisoners being housed out of state.

“Private prisons were actually more expensive than incarcerating inmates in public and state facilities,” said Fields. “I think it’s important to know the legislature has already appropriated enough money to open Palmer medium according to DOCs internal documents that we discussed at last House State Affairs in January.”