Legislature(1997 - 1998)
1998-01-28 Senate Journal
Full Journal pdf1998-01-28 Senate Journal Page 2331 SB 267 SENATE BILL NO. 267 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled: An Act giving notice of and approving the entry into, and the issuance of certificates of participation in, lease-purchase agreements for the first phase of the upgrade, expansion, and replacement of correctional facilities; and providing for an effective date. was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance Committees. Fiscal notes published today from Department of Corrections, Department of Revenue. Zero fiscal note published today from Department of Administration. Governors transmittal letter dated January 26: Dear President Miller: Virtually all of Alaska's jails and prisons are operating beyond the capacity for which they were designed. This overcrowding 1998-01-28 Senate Journal Page 2332 SB 267 constitutes an increasing threat to public safety that requires immediate action. As the first phase of a comprehensive regional plan to address the problem, I am transmitting this bill to upgrade, expand or replace three correctional facilities located in Anchorage, Bethel, and Sutton. The expansion and replacement of these three facilities would add about 669 beds to the statewide prison and jail system at a total construction cost of about $88.5 million. This bill authorizes funding the projects through tax-exempt lease/purchase financing agreements with the communities where the facilities are located. This method of funding reflects the government-to-government partnerships essential to the success of an institution that is operated by the state within a community. The state-run Sixth Avenue jail for misdemeanants in Anchorage has a current capacity of only 104 inmates, but routinely houses as many as 150. The proposed replacement facility would open in 2002 and house approximately 400. New construction costs are estimated at $67 million and additional annual operating expenses over current operating expenses are estimated at approximately $9 million. A municipal site-selection process involving the public will determine the location of the new correctional facility. The State of Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage have long recognized the need to replace this 35-year-old facility, which is simply worn out and unable to provide adequate public protection. Bethel's jail, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center (YKCC), was built for 88 inmates and routinely houses nearly 130. Even at that, many Bethel inmates are currently sent to other facilities because of the overcrowding at YKCC. This bill authorizes the financing to expand YKCC by 48 beds. The costs of construction, which should be completed by 2001, are estimated at $5 million, while the annual operating costs will be $1 million. Of all the state's correctional facilities, YKCC's overcrowding has continued unabated for the longest period of time. Bethel is a regional hub and prisoners from throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are housed at YKCC. The correctional facility routinely places 1998-01-28 Senate Journal Page 2333 SB 267 unsentenced misdemeanants in halfway houses and transfers sentenced felons to other correctional facilities as soon as possible; nonetheless, dangerous levels of overcrowding continue to exist at YKCC. The third project this bill authorizes is the upgrade and expansion of the Palmer Correctional Center located in Sutton. The current 340- bed facility was built with future expansion in mind and has an infrastructure designed to handle the needs of up to 600 inmates. This bill proposes financing of $16.5 million for two projects at the facility: upgrading the security level of the entire facility to medium security and adding 221 new beds to the facility. This equates to approximately $75,000 per additional prison bed, which is considerably lower than the cost would be to construct a new facility. The estimated additional annual operating expense for the expansion is $4.1 million. Unfortunately, hundreds more prison and jail beds are needed in Alaska as the increasing population trends show no sign of abating. At the current pace, by 1999, our inmate population will require as many as 700 more beds than are available. In addition to replacing the Sixth Avenue jail and expanding YKCC and the Palmer Correctional Center, the state must also expand the Wildwood Correctional Center in Kenai, the Mat-Su Pretrial facility in Palmer, the Fairbanks Correctional Center, and the Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau. These needs will be addressed in future legislation. However, we cannot simply build our way out of this problem. The other two facets of this overall plan rely on reducing the number of low-risk offenders who enter the states correctional facilities and decreasing the length of time spent by low-risk offenders in these facilities. The newly established Criminal Justice Assessment Commission will assist the state in examining strategies in those areas. The commission will work with the many different components of the criminal justice system to ensure all offenders are held appropriately accountable for their conduct. The commissions recommendations should help make the system more cost-effective and promote efficiencies that relieve prison overcrowding. 1998-01-28 Senate Journal Page 2334 SB 267 In concert with the commission's work, the state plans to increase its use of Community Residential Centers (CRC) or halfway houses, which are for offenders who present a low risk of danger to the community. The department now uses about 400 more CRC beds than in 1990, but this number can continue to grow. Alaska has thousands of repeat and serious violent offenders, however, who cannot be permitted to threaten the safety of our families and our communities. These prisoners must be incarcerated in secure jails and prisons. For this to happen, Alaska must increase the capacity of its jails and prisons as proposed in this bill. Overcrowding in correctional facilities leads to violence in the facilities, increases the possibility of prisoner escapes, and limits the ability to provide rehabilitation and required treatment for prisoners. The Department of Corrections has been under court order for years to solve the prison overcrowding problem. Fines are accruing against the state at the rate of $140,000 a month and now total over $2 million. The expansion of our prisons and jails as proposed in this bill is an essential part of the solution. Sincerely, /s/ Tony Knowles Governor