Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/23/2020 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB307 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 55 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 307 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 250 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 264 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
March 23, 2020
1:11 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Matt Claman, Chair
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Harriet Drummond [via teleconference]
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Laddie Shaw
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Sarah Vance
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 307
"An Act relating to living conditions for prisoners."
- MOVED CSHB 307(JUD) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 307
SHORT TITLE: EXPANDING PRISONER ACCESS TO COMPUTERS
SPONSOR(s): STATE AFFAIRS
03/05/20 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/05/20 (H) STA, JUD
03/10/20 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/10/20 (H) Heard & Held
03/10/20 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/12/20 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/12/20 (H) Moved CSHB 307(STA) Out of Committee
03/12/20 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/13/20 (H) STA RPT CS(STA) 7DP
03/13/20 (H) DP: VANCE, HOPKINS, THOMPSON, SHAW,
STORY, FIELDS, KREISS-TOMKINS
03/23/20 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
KELLY HOWELL, Special Assistant to the Commissioner/Legislative
Liaison
Department of Corrections
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information and answered questions
during the hearing on HB 307 specific to a proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 307, Version 31-LS1663\U, Radford,
3/19/20.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:11:11 PM
CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:11 p.m. Representatives Claman, Kopp,
Drummond [via teleconference], and Stutes were present at the
call to order. Representative Shaw arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
HB 307-EXPANDING PRISONER ACCESS TO COMPUTERS
1:12:01 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 307, "An Act relating to living conditions for
prisoners." [Before the committee was CSHB 307(STA).]
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the committee would consider a
proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 307, [Version 31-
LS1663\U, Radford, 3/19/20, ("Version U"). Version U was
adopted as a work draft following Ms. Howell's testimony.]
1:12:33 PM
KELLY HOWELL, Special Assistant to the Commissioner/Legislative
Liaison, Department of Corrections, provided information
regarding HB 307 and related to the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 307, Version 31-LS1663\U, Radford,
3/19/20. She stated that [HB 307, Version U] would address two
critical areas related to a prisoner's rehabilitation and
reentry needs: the expansion of approved purposes for which a
prisoner may use a computer and the assurance that prisoners
have a valid form of identification upon their release. She
explained that [HB 307, Version U] would amend the section of
statute that relates to living conditions for prisoners, by
removing the restriction that prohibits a prisoner from
possessing a computer in his/her cell and expanding the approved
purposes for which a prisoner may use a computer to include
facilitation of: the prisoner's rehabilitation, the prisoners
compliance with a reentry plan or case plan, access to legal
reference materials, visitation, and health care.
MS. HOWELL stated that these changes would not only allow
prisoners to gain or maintain proficiency with current
technology to assist with and support their rehabilitation and
reentry needs and expand their positive social supports but
would also aid in reducing contraband brought into the
facilities. She explained that expanded use of technology
affords inmates the ability to engage in programming that
supports their rehabilitation and reentry, such as general
educational development (GED) classes and testing, educational
curricula, employment and life skills assessments and training,
and web-based visitation with family and other prosocial
community members. Ms. Howell stated that allowing visitation
through web-based programming can reduce contact visitation,
thus reducing opportunities for the introduction of contraband
into secure facilities. She said that for inmates with family
members in rural Alaska, this could provide a means to see and
visit with incarcerated family members without incurring the
cost of travel.
MS. HOWELL stated that Medicaid has identified that paper
applications are slow to process and inefficient, and under [HB
307, Version U] inmates would have increased participation in
their release planning by being able to complete their own web-
based applications prior to their release, which would also
serve to reduce paper applications awaiting review by another
department. She said that the provision of computers for law
library use would also reduce or possibly eliminate the use of
typewriters in jail, which are costly to repair and currently
mandated to be available to inmates to work on legal research in
the law of library.
MS. HOWELL stated that having a valid form of identification
upon release is critical to a prisoner's reentry success, as
almost everything a person needs to do upon release from prison
requires identification, including obtaining employment, taking
a drug test, securing housing, and attending court-ordered
counseling. She said that some of the people who participated
in one of several reentry simulations across the state may have
experienced this for themselves. She stated that [HB 307,
Version U] would ensure that the Department of Corrections (DOC)
and the Department of Administration (DOA) would work to ensure
that anyone serving an active term of imprisonment of more than
120 days has a valid form of identification before he/she is
released. She commented that as heard in many other committees,
the vast majority of prisoners in DOC's custody will be released
back into the community, and [HB 307, Version U] would make
meaningful changes to help ensure persons leaving the
department's custody are better equipped for success on the
outside. She encouraged a prompt and favorable action on the
proposed legislation.
1:16:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES asked Ms. Howell how [HB 307, Version U]
would reduce contraband being brought into facilities.
MS. HOWELL answered that one of the hopes of the proposed
legislation is that it would allow prisoners to use technology
to conduct visitation via the web, and by reducing the contact
of person-to-person visitation, the opportunity for contraband
to be introduced into facilities would be reduced as well.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES remarked that that makes good sense, and
she asked whether there were limitations on "web surfing" put on
the computers that inmates use, so that inmates can access only
certain websites.
MS. HOWELL answered that the current plan is to not allow use of
the Internet, so computers would be monitored by staff within
the institutions and most of the programming would be preloaded;
any type of web-based application, such as visitations, would be
monitored. She said that [HB 307, Version U] is essentially
asking for DOC to have the ability to begin implementing these
programs. She stated that there are still some obvious
scenarios that would need to be worked out, but should the
proposed legislation pass, DOC would have the ability to outline
and formalize the different methods by which a prisoner could
use a computer. She said that at this point, going online and
having unfettered access to the Internet is not envisioned.
1:19:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND offered her understanding that there was
no fiscal note included with the proposed legislation, and she
asked whether the computers that would be allowed in prisoners'
cells would be their personal property or department-owned
technology allowed into the prisoners' cells on a shared basis.
MS. HOWELL answered that currently technology such as tablets
are made available, and there is funding in the department's
budget to be able to purchase a limited number of tablets. She
reiterated that the department was still working out how this
would work in practice and getting the program in place. She
said that whether it be personal property or DOC property, there
should not be significant, if any, fiscal impact under [HB 307,
Version U].
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND offered her understanding that web
access is required in order to have [virtual] face-to-face
technology operable on a computer. She questioned whether there
was another way to do so.
MS. HOWELL answered that DOC has been exploring available
technology, and there are certain tablet computers that allow
for visitation remotely through secure, locked-down, web-based
software. She said that if a web-based application, such as
Skype, were to be used through the Internet, then it would be
monitored by DOC staff. She clarified that [HB 307, Version U]
would provide DOC the opportunity to start looking at what the
options are in order to select the best technology that would
keep inmates and staff safe and allow for the expanded uses
provided under the proposed legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND remarked that school districts have the
technology "down pat" to limit access of "unsavory websites" on
the web, and she suggested that DOC contact the school
districts. She pointed out that the Anchorage School District
is getting ready to distribute 20,000 "Chromebooks or laptops or
tablets" to its students who are currently at home. She said
that these devices are already programmed to keep students from
"wandering around on the Internet" anywhere other than "where
they're supposed to be." She expressed that DOC would not have
to look far to find secure web-surfing technology, as it is
already being done with tens of thousands of students in Alaska.
CHAIR CLAMAN asked for confirmation of his understanding that
DOC would be providing supervision for electronic visits in
prisons in the same way that in-person visits are currently
supervised, as in there are people watching the prisoners the
entire time.
1:24:00 PM
MS. HOWELL confirmed that is correct.
1:24:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 307(JUD), Version 31-LS1663\U, Radford,
3/19/20, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version U
was before the committee.
1:24:49 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN opened public testimony on HB 307, Version U.
After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify,
he closed public testimony.
1:25:27 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN asked whether any committee members were thinking
of offering amendments to HB 307, Version U. He expressed that
his interest was to waive the second hearing and move the
proposed legislation from committee. He commented that he
didn't sense any objections to that idea. He explained that he
would call an at-ease in order to wait for the required number
of committee members to be present in order to move a bill out
of committee.
1:25:47 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:25 p.m. to 1:27 p.m.
1:27:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to report CSHB 307(JUD), Version 31-
LS1663\U, Radford, 3/19/20, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHB 307(JUD) was reported from the House
Judiciary Standing Committee.
1:27:56 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at [1:28]
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 307 Work Draft Committee Substitute v. U 3.19.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Sponsor Statement v. A 3.9.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM HSTA 3/10/2020 3:00:00 PM HSTA 3/12/2020 3:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Sectional Analysis v. U 3.23.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Summary of Changes v. A to v. U 3.23.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Supporting Document - Reentry Coalitions Letter 3.11.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM HSTA 3/12/2020 3:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Fiscal Note DOC-IDO 3.6.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |
| HB 307 Fiscal Note DOA-DMV 3.21.2020.pdf |
HJUD 3/23/2020 1:00:00 PM |
HB 307 |