05/15/2003 08:07 AM House STA

HJR 27-FEDERAL $ FOR ANCHORAGE JAIL EXPANSION                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH  announced that the  first order of  business was                                                               
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 27,  Relating to support for a federal                                                               
appropriation for expansion of the Anchorage Jail.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WEHRAUCH offered a brief history  of HJR 27 for the benefit                                                               
of  Representative  Crawford, [who  was  newly  appointed to  the                                                               
committee].                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0183                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LORALI CARTER, Staff to Representative  Kevin Meyer, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, noted that HJR 27  encourages the federal government                                                               
to  appropriate  $30  million  for a  200-bed  expansion  to  the                                                               
Anchorage jail.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WEYHRAUCH noted  that  the  proposed committee  substitute                                                               
(CS)  does   incorporate  Representative   Gruenberg's  suggested                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG specified that  his amendment appears on                                                               
page 2, lines 13-16, and on page 2, lines 24-28.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked if a  certain amount of the 200-bed                                                               
expansion will be dedicated to federal prisoners.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARTER answered, "All 200."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked if  only federal prisoners would be                                                               
able to use those beds, even when those beds aren't in use.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARTER explained  that the state's contract  with the federal                                                               
government  has  been exceeded  for  years,  with regard  to  the                                                               
amount of  prison beds  available for  federal prisoners  and the                                                               
amount  of   prisoners  that  are  actually   housed  in  Alaska.                                                               
Therefore,  the federal  government doesn't  foresee a  time when                                                               
these  200  beds   won't  be  used.    In   further  response  to                                                               
Representative Crawford, Ms. Carter  explained that the expansion                                                               
of  the federal  capacity will  free up  beds that  are currently                                                               
allocated to  the Department of  Corrections, but are  being used                                                               
by federal  prisoners.  Therefore,  it effectively frees  up some                                                               
space for state prisoners.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0564                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked if  the federal government normally                                                               
gives federal funds to house  federal prisoners in state and city                                                               
jails.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. CARTER replied that she didn't know.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG moved  to adopt  CSHJR 27,  Version 23-                                                               
LS1048\D,  Luckhaupt, 5/14/03,  as the  working document.   There                                                               
being no objection, Version D was before the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0675                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN  moved  to  report  CSHJR  27,  Version  23-                                                               
LS1048\D, Luckhaupt,  5/14/03, out  of committee  with individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection,  CSHJR 27(STA)  was reported  from the  House State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.