Legislature(2019 - 2020)Anch LIO Lg Conf Rm
10/10/2019 01:00 PM Senate JUDICIARY
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority | |
| My House | |
| Daybreak Inc. | |
| Partners for Progress | |
| Set Free Alaska | |
| 61sixty Social Impact Lab | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
ANCHORAGE LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION OFFICE
October 10, 2019
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Lora Reinbold, Vice Chair
Senator Mike Shower (via teleconference)
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Jesse Kiehl
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW(S): RECIDIVISM
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
STEVE WILLIAMS, Chief Operating Officer
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Trust: Alaska
Mental Health Trust Authority."
MICHELLE OVERSTREET, Executive Director
MY House
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "MY House."
ERIC CROMBIE, Program Participant
MY House
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered his perspective of lived experience.
POLLY-BETH ODOM, Executive Director
Daybreak Incorporated
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Daybreak
Incorporated Prisoner Re-Entry Program and Therapeutic Court
Case Management."
BRIAN GALLOWAY, Prison Reentry Case Manager
Alaska Community Reentry Program
Mat-Su Reentry Coalition
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Daybreak
Incorporated Prisoner Re-Entry Program and Therapeutic Court
Case Management."
JOSHUA SOPKO, Director
Partners Reentry Center
Partners for Progress
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Partners
Reentry Center."
SHERRY HILL, Operations Director
Set Free Alaska, Ince
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Set Free
Alaska Inc."
RYAN RAY, Founder and Senior Partner
61Sixty Social Impact Lab
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint titled, "Promoting
Smart Decarceration for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals."
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:52 PM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the Senate Judiciary Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. and called an at-ease
awaiting the arrival of Senator Micciche and from Senator Shower
via teleconference.
1:02:12 PM
At ease.
1:06:54 PM
CHAIR HUGHES reconvened the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.
Present at the call to order were Senators Reinbold, Kiehl,
Micciche, and Chair Hughes. Senator Shower joined the committee
via teleconference.
CHAIR HUGHES stated that materials being referenced today are
all posted on the legislative website, BASIS, at
http://www.akleg.gov/basis.
1:08:19 PM
CHAIR HUGHES made opening comments. She stated that the meeting
today marks the beginning of the committee's focus on
recidivism. The repeal of Senate Bill 91 was the first step
taken by the legislature and the executive branch to address
crime. She stated the next step is to effectively address
recidivism because fewer criminals going in and out of the
system will result in fewer victims and overall a safer
community. After passage of House Bill 49, the committee
committed to examine the efforts of state agencies and non-
profit providers reduce recidivism. She anticipated that this
would be a lengthy and deliberative process. Today the committee
would be hearing presentations from the Alaska Mental Health
Trust Authority, MY House, Daybreak Inc., Partners for Progress,
Set Free Alaska, and 61Sixty Social Impact Lab.
1:09:46 PM
CHAIR HUGHES listed the four questions that were given to the
presenters in preparation for this meeting.
1. What is your organization doing presently to help lower
recidivism?
2. What data do you have to show your outcomes?
3. In your opinion, are there any changes the state can make
to help lower the rate of recidivism?
4. How could your organization work within the justice system
to lower recidivism?
She stated that the Alaska Mental Health Trust ("Trust") is the
leader in providing grants to the organizations in the state
that serve the most-at-risk. She said she thinks any
conversation about recidivism must include the Trust.
^Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
1:11:05 PM
STEVE WILLIAMS, Chief Operating Officer, Alaska Mental Health
Trust Authority, Anchorage, Alaska, stated he has lived in
Alaska since 1992. He reported that he worked for the Alaska
Court System for four years before beginning his 14-year career
with the Trust. His focus has been to improve the efficacies of
the criminal justice system with an emphasis on the
beneficiaries of the Trust. He thanked the committee for the
opportunity to have this discussion and for including the
organizations presenting today. He said that these organizations
work to prevent individuals from entering the criminal justice
system and develop and work to implement a release plan to help
someone reenter the community successfully. He explained his
goal for today was to give a primer on the Trust and how the
Trust is involved in issues of recidivism.
1:12:51 PM
MR. WILLIAMS began the presentation with a video on the Alaska
Mental Health Trust.
1:15:23 PM
MR. WILLIAMS stated that the video gives an essence of the Trust
and what it does. He noted that the Trust impacts beneficiaries
across the state through three major areas of work. First, the
Trust is a catalytic change agent that works to help improve the
systems and policies and funds programs and services to enhance
the level of care for its beneficiaries. He said the Trust and
the Department of Health and Social Services work together to
develop a comprehensive integrated mental health program plan.
The most recent version of that plan is on the commissioner's
website at http://dhss.alaska.gov/Commissioner/Pages/MentalHealth.
1:16:19 PM
MR. WILLIAMS mentioned that the Trust channels its staff and
funding resources in specific yet broad areas. He explained that
the Trust's funding has been described as venture capital or
Kickstarter. The Trust's resources help fund new pilot programs
and evaluate new programs. If a model demonstrates efficacy, the
program is implemented with partners, including the state,
nonprofits, or tribal health organizations. If the model does
not work, the Trust moves on to the next model. He stated the
Trust uses its resources to develop infrastructure for the
state. An example is the partnership with the Department of
Corrections (DOC) to remodel and expand the women's mental
health unit at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center to increase
mental health services and provide detoxification services. The
last major role the Trust plays is as a convener, such that the
Trust often pulls together the key stakeholders to better
understand the challenges and barriers. For example, this
includes the today's topic, improving the criminal justice
system by working to help identify and implement solutions. He
summarized that the Trust's key roles are to be a catalytic
funder, policy maker, and convener.
MR. WILLIAMS reviewed Trust Beneficiaries on slide 3.
Alaskans who experience:
• Mental illnesses
• Developmental disabilities
• Alzheimer's disease and related dementia
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Substance abuse disorders
The Trust also works in prevention and early
intervention services for individuals at risk of
becoming beneficiaries.
1:18:58 PM
MR. WILLIAMS discussed slide 4, FY 2020 Trust Grant Allocations.
He said the video mentioned that the Trust receives a little
over $20 million per year for grants and the pie graph on slide
4 shows how the grants are allocated. He said about $10 million
are Mental Health Trust Authority Authorized Receipts (MHTAAR)
which are designated grants to state agencies and are identified
on fiscal notes. He explained that a large amount of the funds
are authority grants which go directly to the community for
local government, tribal health corporations, or nonprofits.
1:19:53 PM
MR. WILLIAMS reviewed Accountability and Outcomes on slide 5.
1. Data-driven decision making and results-based
accountability
2. Agreements established for MHTAAR and Authority Grants
3. Grants monitored for compliance and performance
• Establish performance measures
• Impacts on beneficiaries
• Outcomes and accomplishments
• Financial review
He said the Trust reviews any data before making policies or
decisions about funding. The Trust reviews performance measures
using a results-based accountability matrix to see if programs
are producing desired outcomes. He said that there are grant
agreements set in place with the Trust and its partners. The
agreements outline how the funds are to be used as well as the
performance measures and reporting requirements the Trust is
looking for. He highlighted that the Trust is actively engaged
in the grant-making process which helps to correct problems
early on in a new program.
1:21:58 PM
MR. WILLIAMS discussed The Work of the Trust on slide 6.
Standing Focus Areas
1. Housing and Long-Term Services and Supports.
2. Beneficiary Employment and Engagement.
3. Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment
4. Disability Justice
System Improvements
1. Prevention and Early Intervention
2. Workforce Development
3. Medicaid Reform Implementation
He said the Trust identified four standing focus areas and three
system improvement areas. He stated that the Trust identified
broad areas that needed to change to improve the lives of its
beneficiaries in a collaborative process with its partners,
including state agencies, tribal health partners, community
nonprofits, beneficiaries of the Trust, statutory advisory
boards, the Mental Health Board, the Advisory Board on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the Governor's Council on Special
Education and Disabilities, the Alaska Commission on Aging, and
the Department of Health and Social Services. He stated that in
the 1990s the Trust took more of "shotgun" approach when
granting dollars to needed services and programs. However, there
were specific areas where beneficiaries were struggling, so the
Trust decided to take a more concentrated role in the four
standing focus areas. He explained that the system improvement
areas are also needed, and the Trust has channeled necessary
staff and funding resources into those areas.
1:23:39 PM
CHAIR HUGHES noted the time and suggested that he skip over some
of the slides.
1:23:54 PM
MR. WILLIAMS turned to slide 7 and explained that disability
justice was one of the focus areas because 40 percent of the
annual incarcerations at the DOC (Department of Corrections) are
Trust beneficiaries. The median lengths of stay are double for
Trust beneficiaries versus non-Trust beneficiaries that are
charged with similar crimes. He noted that Trust beneficiaries
are 1.5 to 10 times more likely to be victims of crime. He said
these statistics guide the Trust's work.
1:24:22 PM
MR. WILLIAMS reviewed the goals of Disability Justice listed on
slide 8.
Goals
1. Prevent and reduce inappropriate or avoidable
arrest, prosecution, incarceration, and criminal
recidivism of Trust beneficiaries
2. Improve reentry planning from juvenile detention
and treatment, and adult correctional facilities
back into Alaskan communities
3. Increase criminal justice system's ability to
accommodate, support, protect, and provide
treatment for victims and offenders who are Trust
beneficiaries
4. Reduce the use of jails and prisons for providing
protective custody of adult Trust beneficiaries
under Alaska Statute 47.37.170 (alcohol/substance
holds)
1:24:53 PM
MR. WILLIAMS reviewed slide 9, Sequential Intercept Model. The
Trust uses the Sequential Intercept Model [flowchart] to review
the criminal justice system and identify places where the Trust
and its partners and stakeholders can intercept to create
change. He noted this is all done with a focus on public safety.
The model shows how the community has the bookend services that
will help prevent people from entering the criminal justice
system and that are required for success when transitioning out
of the system.
1:25:30 PM
MR. WILLIAMS reviewed the Examples of Partnerships listed on
slide 10.
1. Peer Supports & Community Based Non-profit system
2. Local Governments
3. Tribal Health System
4. State of Alaska
a) Alaska Court System
• Therapeutic Courts
b) Dept. of Administration
c) Dept. of Corrections
• Hiland Mountain Women's Mental Health Unit
(2x) Mental Health Clinical
Capacity/Programming
• Institutional Discharge Program Plus (IDP+)
• Assess, Plan, Identify & Coordinate (APIC)
program
d) Dept. of Health & Social Services
e) University of Alaska Anchorage
He highlighted 4(a), the Alaska Court System, Therapeutic
Courts, and 4 (c), the DOC, Hiland Mountain Women's Mental
Health Unit, the Institutional Discharge Program Plus (IDP+) and
the Assess, Plan, Identify and Coordinate (APIC) programs
specific reentry programs that the Department of Corrections
operates in partnership with the Trust. He noted that 4 (e) the
Alaska Justice and Information Center (AJiC) program at the
University of Alaska Anchorage is a jointly funded project that
serves as the database warehouse to help guide the Trust with
its program and policy decisions.
1:26:27 PM
MR. WILLIAMS described the four Sample Projects on slides 11 and
12.
Sample Projects
Anchorage Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
• In FY18, 2,976 documented calls for services were
categorized as mental health-related or suicide-
related
• Current CIT-trained APD Staffing
- 110 officers (Goal is 30% patrol officers)
-33 dispatch employees
Bethel Holistic Defense Project (HDP)
• During FY18, 150 unduplicated beneficiaries were
served.
• Examples of services to HDP participants,
referral to services (57%), assistance with
assessments (33%), creating social histories (33%),
and case management (27%).
• Results = 35% were able to enter treatment, 31%
had their needs identified, 18% were enrolled in
Medicaid, and 15% acquired food stamps.
Sample Projects (cont'd)
APIC (Assess, Plan, Identify, and Coordinate)
Discharge Planning Model
• In FY18, there were 551 unique and valid
referrals
• 517 participants were released with a
transitional release plan
checkbld 475 were connected or engaged with a community
provider
checkbld 40% within 10 days and 60% with 30 days of
release.
Interpersonal Violence Prevention
• FY08 - FY19, 73 groups with 534 participants have
completed the FDP at 28 agencies throughout Alaska
• Longitudinal data shows:
checkbld a decrease in the incidents of interpersonal
violence
checkbld an increase in the size of participants' social
networks
checkbld statistically significant positive behavior
outcomes such as gains in knowledge and
understanding of respectful personal boundaries
MR. WILLIAMS said that these four projects that the Trust either
solely funds or jointly funds are focused on improving outcomes
for beneficiaries or preventing them from coming into the
criminal justice system. The first one is CIT (Anchorage Crisis
Intervention Training) that the Trust has partnered with the
Anchorage Police Department since 2001. The Trust has also helped
Juneau and Fairbanks police departments. He noted that these
trainings are not solely for local law enforcement but also the
Alaska State Troopers, Village Public Safety Officers, campus
security, airport police, and military police.
Second, the Bethel Holistic Defense Project (HDP) is a joint
project that focuses on individuals who have both criminal and
civil charges and combines the cases to take a more holistic
approach.
Third, the APIC program is a partnership with the Department of
Corrections. This project is critical in release planning and
ensures beneficiaries are connected to services such as housing,
mental health, substance abuse, case management, employment, and
prosocial activities which are known elements to help
beneficiaries succeed in their transition back into their
communities.
Lastly, is the Interpersonal Violence Prevention program through
the UAA Center for Human Development, he asked. He said this is
an area where data is underreported but the program does seem to
help individuals develop broader prosocial relationships and
networks as well as decrease reported incidents of
victimization, so people are safer.
1:29:12 PM
MR. WILLIAMS explained the Sequential Intercept Model depicted
on slide 13. He emphasized that as members discuss the topics of
reentry and recidivism, it is important to focus before someone
has contact and enters the criminal justice system. There cannot
be a sole focus on the reentry piece or else there will continue
to be an effort to fill the holes when someone comes out on the
backend.
He directed attention to the flowchart on the right. He noted
that many of the presenters today will discuss the in-reach work
performed with the Department of Corrections to develop reentry
planning and to support individuals at the time of reentry into
the community.
1:30:04 PM
MR. WILLIAMS discussed slide 14, What should be the result?
1. Increased public safety
2. Effective and efficient use of resources achieving
better outcomes
3. Healthier Alaskans and communities
He stated that the projects listed should produce these three
goals. He said that much of the work that has been done since
2001 including many of the programs presenting today have met
these goals. It is not yet systemic, but recidivism rates have
decreased from 66 to 61 percent for felons according to the
Department of Corrections. He offered his belief that better
outcomes will be achieved.
1:30:44 PM
MR. WILLIAMS thanked the committee for including the community
in this conversation because it will help to share what is
working, what is missing, and how to develop some solutions for
some of the barriers.
1:31:00 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the Trust reviews and collects data for
programs outside of the ones the Trust administers to see if the
programs are producing good outcomes.
MR. WILLIAMS answered yes.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if beneficiaries represent a high percentage
of victims.
MR. WILLIAMS answered yes.
CHAIR HUGHES referred to slide 12 that states that APIC had 517
release plans for inmates reentering society. She asked if that
represented the number of beneficiaries reentering society in
one year and what percentage that represented of the overall
releases for that year.
MR. WILLIAMS answered that 517 represents the number of release
plans for FY 2018. He said he does not know the percentage as it
relates to the overall releases from DOC in that year, but it is
small. He said that these beneficiaries are the ones with severe
persistent mental illness or other significant impairments.
CHAIR HUGHES offered her belief that pockets of good things are
happening in Alaska, but the problem is but not every offender
has access to those opportunities. She hoped that if the state
uses a more comprehensive approach from pre-contact to the time
served and through reentry to provide access to the "best of the
best" to reduce recidivism.
She said her goal is to decrease Alaska's rate of recidivism
from 60 percent to 30 percent because other states and countries
have accomplished that. She emphasized the importance of this
for victims and the sake of Alaska's communities.
CHAIR HUGHES reported that she is pleased with the goals set by
the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) because the
commission's goals align with the legislature's vision. The
Commission's four goals are: recidivism reduction, domestic
violence recidivism reduction, review and update the sex offense
statutes, and support for victims or victim navigation. She
noted that this will be a process and take time, but the
committee will start taking steps now to move in that direction.
1:35:21 PM
SENATOR KIEHL referred to the 517 participants in APIC [on slide
12] and asked if those numbers were low because APIC has a high
threshold for how sick people must be or because resources are
lacking to fully implement the program, or both.
MR. WILLIAMS answered it is due to resources, but whenever
discussing reentry and developing plans, the DOC has a
percentage of its population that cycles through rather quickly,
so it is challenging to develop successful release plans for
them. Another challenge is that this is voluntary so
beneficiaries may or may not decide to use the plan developed
for them.
1:36:34 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said Mr. Williams often speaks about Trust
beneficiaries. However, he was unsure of the definition. He
asked if a Trust beneficiary is someone who could qualify or
whether the Trust has a running list of Alaskans who are Trust
beneficiaries.
MR. WILLIAMS answered that the Trust does not have a running
list. To qualify for a Trust program, a person must fall under
one of the four diagnoses mentioned in the video. Further, those
diagnoses must impact these individuals to such an extent that
it impacts their ability to function and places them at high
risk for institutionalization. This goes back to when Alaska was
a territory and sent people to out of state to institutions in
Oregon and Washington.
SENATOR MICCICHE offered his belief that a higher proportion of
those incarcerated Alaskans could be identified as beneficiaries
but are undiagnosed and are slipping through the cracks.
CHAIR HUGHES noted that he said 40 percent of offenders are
beneficiaries, but she suggested it would be higher. She asked
if those were only the ones that have been diagnosed.
MR WILLIAMS clarified that overall, 40 percent of the annual
incarcerations are Trust beneficiaries, but if a snapshot was
taken on a specific day, then 65 to 67 percent of incarcerated
individuals would be Trust beneficiaries. He agreed people do
slip through the cracks in terms of identification at the
Department of Corrections because not everyone wants to self-
identify for personal and safety reasons. Further, it is not
easy to recognize FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) or
traumatic brain injury victims. He agreed that the percentage is
underreported.
1:39:03 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked for a contact about projects associated
with the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust.
MR. WILLIAMS answered Wyn Menefee.
SENATOR REINBOLD commented that the Trust has millions of acres
of state land. She asked how the Trust was kept accountable for
positive outcomes. She asked whether it was through the Mental
Health Trust Board or a certain goal for the rate of return on
investments.
MR. WILLIAMS answered that the Mental Health Trust Land Office
is a separate section within the Department of Natural
Resources. The Mental Health Land Office manages those lands to
maximize revenues for the Trust since the trust must operate in
perpetuity for current and future beneficiaries. The Trust's
board of trustees provides oversight for both the cash and non-
cash assets of the Trust.
SENATOR REINBOLD asked if all Alaskans technically should be
considered Trust beneficiaries if the effort is prevention of
substance abuse or mental health issues.
MR. WILLIAMS replied he believes prevention and early
intervention should be a part of the same discussion. He said
the Trust partners with the state Suicide Prevention Council to
help inform people of the resources available to them. Early
intervention is about identifying mental health issues through
assessments and screening tools to hopefully intervene before
someone progresses to a point of institutionalization.
1:42:43 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD remarked that she has never been a fan of the
Criminal Justice Commission (CJC). She said she has found some
extreme red flags with the Domestic Violence Diversion program.
She offered her belief that the important goal should be offense
reduction, not recidivism reduction. She said every state
defines recidivism differently and she is concerned about how
Alaska has defined it in the past.
CHAIR HUGHES responded that she thinks of offense reduction when
she thinks of recidivism reduction. She said she is also
concerned about the Domestic Violence Diversion program. She
clarified that the program's priority is to reduce overall
domestic violence. She offered her belief that the diversion
program was currently not the CJC's priority.
1:44:21 PM
SENATOR KIEHL referenced slide 13 and the chart with intercepts
shown. He pointed out there is nothing on the model for time
spent in prison. He said that many of the organizations here
today are reaching people in prison to help them successfully
reintegrate. He expressed concern that very few resources were
available to help someone during incarceration. He asked how
important the Trust believes it is to offer programs while
people are incarcerated.
MR. WILLIAMS replied that he did not spend much time discussing
Intercepts 2 and 3 in the sequential intercept model shown on
slide 13 due to the focus of today's conversation. Both
intercepts speak to his concern of what access those
incarcerated have to treatment and support services to address
those needs, including addiction, mental health, or supporting
those with developmental disabilities. These issues are very
important to the Trust. The Trust works with the Department of
Corrections as well as the Division of Juvenile Justice to build
up their mental health clinical capacities. He added that the
Trust has worked with both agencies to provide resources so
staff, including POs and mental health clinical staff are
trained in trauma, mental health first aid, and other specific
conditions beneficiaries may have. In addition, the Trust has
supported residential substance abuse treatment programs in the
Department of Corrections (DOC). He stated this issue is a
significant focus of the Trust's work, but he focused on the
reentry piece in today's presentation.
1:46:38 PM
CHAIR HUGHES said the committee is interested in the in-reach
programs that the agencies and nonprofits have in DOC's
correctional institutions. She pointed out that Alaska has a
Unified Corrections System so sometimes jail and prison are used
interchangeably. She suggested Intercept 3 should probably read
jail/prison.
She thanked Mr. Williams for his concise answers.
1:47:44 PM
CHAIR HUGHES welcomed Michelle Overstreet.
1:48:01 PM
SENATOR SHOWER joined the meeting via teleconference.
1:48:12 PM
At ease.
1:48:30 PM
CHAIR HUGHES called the committee back to order.
^MY House
1:49:08 PM
MICHELLE OVERSTREET, Executive Director, MY House, Wasilla,
Alaska, introduced herself and Eric Crombie who is a client of
MY House and offers peer support and has lived experience. She
said she was born and raised in Alaska and started MY House in
2010 with the idea of providing better care and resources to
homeless youth in local communities. She said she assumes the
members are familiar with MY House. MY House serves a geographic
area the size of West Virginia. The MY House office located in
Wasilla is a one-stop shop with wraparound services. MY House is
a nonprofit organization that owns two for-profit businesses
that train and employ homeless youth, she said.
She highlighted that one fourth of their clientele are reentry
clients. MY House has a total of 575 clients and 395 of them
have been active in the last 60 days. She noted that MY House
sees an average of about 120 clients a week and about 100 active
reentry clients.
MS. OVERSTREET said both businesses offer onsite case management
services and immediate intervention regarding clients' work
issues as well as classes on communication, coping skills,
problem solving, decision making, suicide prevention, and
domestic violence. She noted that MY House clients are all high
risk. At one time, 100 percent of the clientele who came through
the transitional housing program were reported survivors of
domestic violence. She added that the case managers coordinate
services for clients' basic needs, including food, clothing,
showers, laundry, and public health services. Last month MY
House gave out over $700 in clothing through its thrift boutique
shop. MY House has partner services such as public health that
treat conditions ranging from head lice to trench foot and
reproductive health services.
1:51:28 PM
MS. OVERSTREET noted that MY House offers high school completion
and GED services through Nine Star. She said 40 percent of MY
House clients do not have a high school diploma or a GED,
including the reentry clients, which proves to be a tremendous
barrier for them to be employable. Access to education is
important for reentry clients to make that first step toward a
better life.
She said that MY House offers recovery services with partners
like Set Free Alaska, True North Recovery, Akeela House Recovery
Center, and CITC (Cook Inlet Tribal Council). A CITC peer
support mentor staff works in the MY House office to provide
young people in long-term recovery adequate access to care. She
stated that MY House trains an average of 20 homeless youth, of
which 10 are in recovery, so it is important to have that peer
support readily available to clients. She said the peer support
mentors help coordinate meetings and treatments as well as
create a client's work schedule to fit around their treatment
and education needs. This keeps clients busy which helps them
stay out of trouble and helps them to internalize their progress
in multiple areas of their lives.
MS. OVERSTREET pointed out that MY House has partners for dental
and health care, primary care, and Alaska Native Benefits
Recognition. She said two MY House staff members provide ACEs
(Adverse Childhood Experiences) training. This provides the
entire staff, including the peer support teams, volunteers, and
community partners, to be trauma informed. She said the goal is
to have everyone in the community aware of the risk factors
these youth face. She commented that last year their office had
more clients graduate through the Nine Star High School
Completion program than the Anchorage program. MY House has
focused on education and peer support to encourage clients to
better themselves.
1:54:15 PM
MS. OVERSTREET, in terms of recidivism said that 98 percent of
clients who complete a job training program are in housing one
to three years later. These clients are not homeless. She
emphasized that the average age of a MY House client is 18 years
old and the overall average age is 22. She stated that MY House
performs three-year follow ups because clients choose to stay
with the program. She highlighted that the recidivism rate for
clients in reentry programs is 39 percent which is almost half
the statewide average for the 18 to 24-year-old age bracket. She
said 80 percent of MY House clients work in jobs that the
participants were trained to perform or in better positions.
Another 12 percent of clients continue to pursue further
educational or vocational training. She related that 70 percent
of clients in the transitional housing program have successfully
moved into their own housing. Another eight percent transition
into additional training or education programs like Job Corps or
college. She said that 94 percent of clients who are not
successful in transitional housing are referred to behavioral
health services or substance abuse treatment programs.
In 2016, MY House lost 11 clients to overdoses, one to suicide,
and one was murdered. To combat these types of deaths, MY House
started the Opioid Task Force that helped write legislation that
passed the legislature two years ago. This legislation regulated
narcotics, developed the pharmaceutical networks, and limited
the amount of narcotics prescribed at one time. She noted that
simultaneously, NARCAN training was implemented and kits were
given to all MY House staff, the first responders in the Mat-Su
Valley, and the Wasilla Police Department. She added that MY
House started a suicide prevention program and engaged in sex-
trafficking prevention awareness and education. As a result, in
2017 only one client died of overdose, no clients committed
suicides and no murders occurred and in 2018 there were no
deaths. She pointed out how in three years MY House went from
losing 13 clients to losing zero.
MS. OVERSTREET highlighted that in terms of outcomes, focusing
on the number of clients in MY House programs does not give the
full story. She preferred to couch the outcomes in a different
way, such that some children are still alive due to the work of
MY House. She related that a detective came up to her last week
and told her how he saved four lives with NARCAN that the MY
House staff taught him how to use.
1:57:27 PM
MS. OVERSTREET said MY House has been a member of the Mat-Su
Reentry Coalition since its inception. MY House data was used
for the first quarterly report for the grant because the
Coalition had no clients at the time. She stated that MY House
only received reimbursement for that funding source by attending
meetings. She noted that MY House works with the courts and
parole officers. Most of the clients for reentrance are referred
by other clients, their family members, or a Department of
Corrections partner including law enforcement. She explained
that MY House clients are successful because their housing is
peer supported, their job training is on site, and the case
management offers wrap-around services.
1:58:14 PM
MS. OVERSTREET discussed what the state could change to reduce
recidivism. She opined that the state has a history of rewarding
failure. She suggested approaching things differently because it
does not make sense to continue to fund organizations that fail.
She said if Alaska continues to do the same things, Alaska will
continue to get the same results. She noted that Alaska's
statistics for sexual assault, domestic violence, addiction
rates, and suicide are all high enough that there is not room to
keep going back. She stated that successful programs need to be
rewarded. She recommended finding ways to build additional
support or offering opportunities for successful programs to
role model how to develop community-based programs that work.
She said she believes that MY House is successful because the
organization operates from a small base and serves the local
community. MY House has passionate case managers who care about
their clients. These case managers personally know their
clients, which creates a built-in accountability. She suggested
offering treatment services to inmates. When these offenders
come into programs such as theirs, onsite support would allow
for continued treatment. These individuals would not need to
first go to treatment and start job training piecemeal. Instead,
the transition could flow. Their lives would not be interrupted
periodically, which is what jail does. This flow could make the
transition easier for inmates reentering society and help them
create a better life for themselves.
2:00:41 PM
MS. OVERSTREET, in terms of lowering recidivism, said it is
important for MY House to continue to build capacity within the
community. For example, the Opioid Task Force program brought
several other treatment programs into the community, built peer
support, and increased the number of sober activities. She said
that people released from jail need clean and sober activities
with others who are also in recovery in order to build a better
life.
2:01:51 PM
CHAIR HUGHES said she has never seen a team work as hard as the
one at MY House. She said that she has a great respect for their
work and their outcomes are impressive. She asked if peer
mentors have any contact or relationship with clients during
their incarceration and if that type of contact would increase
the number of people who choose to work with MY House.
MS. OVERSTREET answered that MY House previously had contact
with clients during incarceration, but the program ended.
Currently, their outreach coordinator could do some of that
work. Some of My House's case managers have gone to Hiland
Mountain Correctional Center and a few other places. She agreed
that MY House has the capacity to go back to that kind of
outreach.
2:03:13 PM
SENATOR KIEHL noted that she mentioned many of the MY House
participants come by referral, but that the organization works
with judges and parole officers. He asked if client come
voluntarily to MY House or if some are referred to the
organization by the court.
MS. OVERSTREET answered that the program is 100 percent
voluntary. However, sometimes parole officers send people to MY
House. Transportation is offered to clients, so peers will often
pick them up. Thus, the first contact with MY House is from
those with a shared experience. This helps clients feel more
comfortable, she said.
SENATOR KIEHL asked for an overview of how MY House is funded.
MS. OVERSTREET explained that the program does not receive any
reentry grant funding at this time, but it receives one state
grant, the BHAP [Basic Homeless Assistance Program] funding. She
said generally funding comes from one-third fundraisers, one-
third donors, and one-third grants. The Mat-Su Health Foundation
funds the operations of MY House and the United Way helps fund
the Friday Night Porch, a program for 14 to 24-year-olds, who
can play basketball at a local fitness center from nine to
midnight to help keep them off the streets.
2:05:05 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD commented on the difficulty to address mental
health and substance abuse issues. She related a scenario about
two medical professionals overprescribing opioids. She said she
believes in prevention as well as performing program audits. She
advocated to eliminate any programs that are not effective and
invest in the programs that show positive outcomes. She offered
her belief that Alaska rewards failure.
2:06:53 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if MY House collaborates with other
programs and providers across the state to help provide
resources to clients who move between communities.
MS. OVERSTREET related some current efforts, that MY House
recently sent five youth advisory board members to Kenai and
Homer to discuss the possibility of opening a MY House type
center in Homer. If MY House receives potential funding, it
could partner closely with the youth-led project in Homer and
could provide more opportunities for collaboration. She said she
believes the treatment and peer support opportunities in the
Mat-Su are currently the best within the state because of the
Opioid Task Force programs and the community activism. She
related a scenario where someone rolled a person overdosing on
opioids out of a car at MY House because the center is a known
location within the community to administer NARCAN. In terms of
community response, the community has wraparound treatments
available for people to obtain care.
2:10:32 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE mentioned that the PDMP (Prescription Drug
Monitoring Program), the FBI, and strengthening Alaska's laws
against trafficking have proven helpful. He asked if she was
worried about increased illegal drug use and if MY House could
help law enforcement monitor what is happening on the streets.
MS. OVERSTREET replied that MY House has a good relationship
with local law enforcement. MY House has an assigned officer
from the Wasilla Police Department that works directly with
them. Since MY House does not offer clinical services, it is not
bound by confidentiality laws. She said she sends information
related to drug and human trafficking to an assigned FBI agent
on a weekly basis. MY House has been advised to be discreet
concerning information channels.
She offered her belief that peer support groups are passionate
advocates for recovery. These peers do not enable clients and
generally know what happens to clients within the community. She
has been encouraged and inspired by the number of young people
in recovery who are dedicated to help prevent those new to
recovery from being victimized.
SENATOR MICCICHE explained that his question was about
developing networks to encompass not only those who are
imprisoned by addiction but to track those that traffic drugs
since those activities move around.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if MY House would have the capacity to help
replicate similar programs in other communities.
MS. OVERSTREEET answered yes. She said she believes part of it
could be accomplished by youth ambassadors. She highlighted that
the youth advisory board would like to offer more community-
based support services across the state.
2:13:54 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked MY House for the work it is doing and said
she would like to see it done statewide.
^Daybreak Inc.
2:14:55 PM
CHAIR HUGHES welcomed Polly-Beth Odom with Daybreak Inc.
2:15:32 PM
POLLY-BETH ODOM, Assistant Executive Director, Daybreak
Incorporated, Palmer, Alaska, delivered a PowerPoint titled
"Daybreak Incorporated Prisoner Re-Entry Program & Therapeutic
Court Case Management." She reviewed slide 2, Daybreak
Incorporated (Daybreak).
• Since 1988, Daybreak has been providing comprehensive case
management services. Our initial focus was working with
adults diagnosed with a mental illness, helping them to
engage in their communities by assisting them to find and
obtain employment, housing, transportation and other
services. Daybreak is a DBH grantee and a CARF accredited
agency.
• In 2017 we expanded services to include traumatic brain
injury and the Mat-Su reentry program.
She explained that over time Daybreak began to work with other
groups, including the Traumatic Brain Injury group and saw a
need for case management for some participants of the Palmer
Therapeutic Court. In 2006, Daybreak partnered with the Palmer
Therapeutic Court and the Alaska Mental Health Trust to provide
case management specifically for their programs. Three case
managers work in the Palmer and Anchorage Therapeutic Courts,
she said. She related that Daybreak is also a part of the APIC
program in Anchorage.
2:16:36 PM
CHAIR HUGHES commented that the committee is focused on more
than just reentry, but she would like to know more about how to
incorporate what Daybreak and other groups are doing in the
prisons.
2:16:49 PM
MS. ODOM said that in 2017 Daybreak received funding from the
Mat-Su Health Foundation for a pilot reentry project. In 2018,
Daybreak received formal funding to provide case management with
the reentry program. Mr. Galloway is the case manager who works
within the Department of Corrections for that reentry program,
she said.
2:17:18 PM
MS. ODOM turned to the slide titled, What services are offered
in the therapeutic court case management program? She explained
that Daybreak Inc. works with the court system to ensure
participants graduate from the therapeutic court. The
participants may have been in an institution like the Alaska
Psychiatric Institute, Department of Corrections (DOC), or these
participants could have been homeless for some time. She
explained that the organization works with landlords and the
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) to help secure housing
for participants. Daybreak works to ensure that participants
attend their mental health or substance abuse treatment
appointments. Daybreak assists clients keep their benefits in
place and help if someone needs a representative payee or
assistance from the Office of Public Advocacy. She emphasized
that Daybreak's most important role is to help the participants
graduate from the program with the necessary skills to keep them
from reoffending. Daybreak serves about 45 people in the
therapeutic courts and the recidivism rate is about four
percent, she reported.
The low recidivism rate is due to Daybreak's involvement and
intense client case management. Daybreak frequently meets with
participants to address them and avert crises.
2:19:05 PM
BRIAN GALLOWAY, Prisoner Reentry Case Manager, Mat-Su Reentry
Program, Alaska Community Reentry Program, Wasilla, Alaska,
turned to the slide titled, What services are provided in the
re-entry program? He explained that the reentry program has four
case managers in Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks and Juneau. The
reentry program is unique because it only serves medium to high-
risk offenders coming from the Department of Correction
institutions. These clients are ones who were primarily
convicted of violent or drug crimes. He highlighted that the
program focuses on these clients, that most are homeless when
reentering their community. He noted that this program is based
on Michigan's risk needs responsivity model. This model
identifies antisocial behaviors, needs, associations, or other
issues that lead to recidivism. He said the program focuses on
the criminogenic needs to help identify certain service reports
and ensure those reports are delivered in conjunction with the
probation, parole, or supervision requirements. He noted that
probation and parole supervision is not a requirement for
eligibility for the program.
MR. GALLOWAY related that the reentry program is in its third
year, so it does not have an official recidivism number. The
aggregate recidivism rate over the last two years is 10 percent
and is defined by people who have committed new crimes, created
new victims and returned to a DOC facility. The reentry program
has served approximately 187 individuals, most from the
institutions. He visits DOC institutions at least twice a week
to help individuals set up a transition case plan and begin the
wraparound service process. This helps inmates to connect to the
services and providers needed to successfully reenter society.
He chronicled that between the various state institutions,
Daybreak has had contact with over 1,000 inmates. He emphasized
that this program works with all the reentry coalitions around
the state, no matter where the organizations are located or how
the coalitions are funded, including the Trust. The organization
also works with the Division of Behavioral Health, he said.
MR. GALLOWAY responded to a previous question about how many DOC
releases APIC covers, which was 7.5 percent in 2018. He advised
that he routinely meets with the clinicians at APIC and IDP+
every week. These numbers are increasing, he said.
2:22:37 PM
MS. ODOM displayed the slide 5titled, Who has Daybreak served?
Mat-Su Prisoner Re-Entry Program
• FY 20: Twelve (12) current participants and 44 in
reach contacts from 9/11/19 through 9/30/19
• FY 19: Thirteen (13) Mat-Su residents participated in
the re-entry program.
• FY 18: Seventeen (17) Mat-Su residents participated in
the Mat-Su Reentry program from December 2017 through June
30, 2018
Palmer and Anchorage Therapeutic Courts
• FY 20: Daybreak is currently providing case
management for five (5) participants (3 in the Mat-Su
and 2 in Anchorage)
• FY 19: Daybreak provided case management for 10
participants (8 in the Mat-Su and 2 in Anchorage)
• FY 18: Daybreak provided case management with 12
participants ( 8 in the Mat-Su and 4 in Anchorage)
• FY 17: Daybreak provided case management services
for 14 participants (7 Mat-Su and 7 Anchorage)
2:23:35 PM
She explained that Daybreak uses a program in AKAIMS [Alaska's
Automated Information Management System] to differentiate
between CMI [chronically mentally ill] clients and CRP
[Coordinated Resource Project] clients in the Palmer Therapeutic
Court. She offered to follow up with more complete data.
Participation in Anchorage is increasing, she said, after the
organization received a community behavioral health grant
through the Division of Behavioral Health. This is in addition
to the therapeutic court services provided in Mat-Su.
MS. ODOM turned to the slide titled, What has the Daybreak
Reentry program assisted with? She explained that Daybreak
focuses on the social determinants of housing, connection to
substance abuse and mental health services, medical care,
obtaining financial benefits, employment opportunities, and
transportation to appointments for clients. This will help
ensure that participants have the most robust and fulfilling
lives possible, she said.
MS. ODOM displayed the slide titled, Barriers Faced by Mat-Su
Reentry Participants. She stated she could list a litany of
examples of the barriers that Mat-Su reentry participants face
related to housing, transportation, and employment
opportunities. She explained that the available employment often
pays $13-15 an hour, which is not enough to pay for rent in the
core areas of Wasilla or Palmer, where it typically costs around
$1200 a month. Affordable housing tends to be further away, such
as on Knik Goose Bay Road or north towards Willow. She said that
this housing is far from job opportunities which creates
expenses for gas or the need for a reliable automobile. She said
these three factors act as a triangle, which makes it very
difficult for people to successfully reenter their communities.
Currently, the Mat-Su Borough does not have a robust
transportation system. This is something the Mat-Su Health
Foundation has been collaborating with the Mat-Su Borough to
address. This might help connect people to needed services. She
said this could make a big difference.
2:26:13 PM
MR. GALLOWAY added that Daybreak's partner providers in the Mat-
Su have been working to expand transitional living programs.
Again, the current barriers are related to transportation. He
explained that the housing programs or landlords who are willing
to provide transitional living are generally located far outside
of public transportation areas. He highlighted that two of their
routinely used transitional living programs are less than three
miles from the city center, but these areas lack bus access.
2:27:07 PM
MS. ODOM related that she and Mr. Galloway discussed what could
be done to collaborate on changes that could address these
reentry barriers. First, unsentenced offenders cannot
participate in the substance abuse, mental health, or
educational/vocational programs while serving in DOC
institutions. Someone must be sentenced in order to participate.
This prevents defendants who are fighting their charges from
receiving treatment. This period could range from 12-18 months.
She offered her belief that participation in programs prior to
sentencing could help reduce recidivism.
Second, she suggested expanding the programs to provide more in-
reach opportunities. Daybreak has been tracking specific in-
reach data and has found it beneficial to have a person, like
Mr. Galloway, to be the face within the Department of
Corrections (DOC). That department contact could let offenders
know that reentry services are available. She said Mr. Galloway
is often the catalyst to help people in Fairbanks or some of the
more rural communities. Further, providing an itinerant
probation officer (PO) would be helpful for people living in the
more outlying regions of the Mat-Su so participants would not
need to travel from Willow to Palmer to see their PO. This could
also prevent some remands because of missed appointments, she
said. This could bring the service to the people rather than
have the people get to the service.
MS. ODOM said that often inmates receive a substance abuse
assessment in the Department of Corrections. Once release, the
Probation Office requests another substance abuse assessment.
The regulations do not allow the assessments more frequently
than every six months. It would be very helpful if substance
abuse or behavioral health assessments done within DOC could be
sent to the probation officer and/or service provider when an
individual is released. The Division of Behavioral Health has
often discussed ways to ensure timely access to services. The
division is very good at getting the initial qualification
assessment done in a timely manner but then it usually is two to
four weeks before the actual assessment takes place, she said.
Often it takes six to 12 months before a participant sees a
behavioral health therapist. She said the 1115 Behavioral Health
Medicaid Waiver for substance abuse is set to begin in January,
but it would be beneficial if people had access to treatment at
the specific time needed in-house and in the communities. She
asked Mr. Galloway to discuss flat time.
2:31:08 PM
MR. GALLOWAY explained flat time, which is an approach that is
becoming more popular for offenders in Department of
Corrections. He said offenders would serve the entire portion of
their sentences without applying for parole, electronic
monitoring (EM), and work or rehab furloughs. Once these inmates
serve their time and exit the DOC institutions, these
individuals are not followed by field probation officers. No one
holds them accountable for following up on requirements, such as
substance abuse treatment or other therapies that could improve
their situations. These offenders are usually the first to
reoffend and create more victims, and end up back in the DOC, he
said.
He questioned whether the DOC or the courts could mandate these
offenders not subject to parole or probation supervision to
connect with a community organization to ensure these
individuals receive treatment once released. He suggested it
could be similar to the ASAP [Alcohol Safety Action Program]
requirements to ensure post-incarceration individuals receive
the needed treatment. He offered his belief that court-ordered
treatment during sentencing would set up offenders for success
after release.
CHAIR HUGHES thanked both presenters for their practical
solutions and asked them to provide them to the committee in
writing.
MS. ODOM concluded her presentation by reviewing the slide
titled, How could Daybreak work within the justice system to
help lower the recidivism? She emphasized the need for Daybreak
to provide a case manager within the court system for first time
offenders to help them navigate the system more successfully.
This could help prevent offenders from missed court appointments
and subsequent remands.
2:34:32 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked Senator Shower, participating via
teleconference, if he had any questions.
SENATOR SHOWER replied he would forward any questions via email.
2:35:11 PM
SENATOR KIEHL referred back to slides concerning the reentry
program and therapeutic courts. He asked why the number of
participants seemed to be declining from FY 2017 to FY 2020
since the need for these services has not declined.
MS. ODOM explained that the therapeutic court program is often
voluntary so someone who does not want a case manager may elect
to not use Daybreak's services.
MR. GALLOWAY said the same thing holds true for the reentry
program. For example, individuals who are flat timing may not
want services because the offenders know Daybreak will hold them
accountable and report their behavior and actions to the DOC.
These decisions could result in some fluctuations over time, he
said.
2:36:08 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked what definition Daybreak uses for
recidivism and the source of the definition.
MR. GALLOWAY answered that the reentry program uses the same
definition as the State of Alaska, including the Department of
Corrections. He explained that the PowerPoint uses the term
aggregate recidivism rate because the program has only been in
effect for two years and the state usually defines the
recidivism rate over a three-year period. The 10 percent
recidivism rate relates to the last two years, he said.
SENATOR REINBOLD asked how he would define recidivism.
MR. GALLOWAY replied it is a person reentering the DOC on new
charges.
2:37:08 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD offered her belief that it is critical to
consider how recidivism is defined. She said she does not agree
with the state's criminal justice system's definition of
recidivism. She said she has found very different definitions
used in other states. She expressed concern that many offenders
in Alaska are not held accountable since recidivism isn't
tracked over a lifetime. The ultimate goal of public safety
should be to reduce offenses. She expressed an interest in
preventing more victims. When the courts delay trials, healing
for the victim and their families is delayed. She said she is
grateful that the presenters indicated that offenders must be
sentenced to get help.
2:39:59 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked for an update on the partnership with the
Department of Labor and how it could be enhanced.
MR. GALLOWAY answered that the Department of Labor & Workforce
Development (DLWD) has multiple programs that serve reentrants
and include funding opportunities. Almost every DLWD job center
in the state has an employment specialist who specifically works
with reentrants.
2:40:44 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked if he would support work requirements in
prison. She offered her belief that it would reduce prison costs
and it could prepare inmates for trade schools. She also asked
if he would also support tax breaks for employers who hire
inmates after their release.
MR. GALLOWAY answered that a federal program currently provides
tax breaks to businesses that reemploy reentrants. He noted that
limited employment opportunities exist for offenders in custody.
He suggested another need was to increase the vocational and
occupational training available within DOC's institutions. That
would increase the likelihood of reentrants finding employment
and reduce the likelihood of reoffenders.
2:42:12 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked if he would support work requirements
inside the prisons.
MR. GALLOWAY clarified that he would not call it a work
requirement, but he does agree that inmates would benefit from
having a schedule while in prison.
2:42:41 PM
At ease.
^Partners for Progress
2:48:13 PM
CHAIR HUGHES called the committee back to order and welcomed
Joshua Sopko.
2:48:42 PM
JOSHUA SOPKO, Director, Partners Reentry Center, Partners for
Progress, Anchorage Alaska, began a PowerPoint, noting he would
skip some slides. He began by explaining that the Partners
Reentry Center is a program with Partners for Progress, a
collaborative program that has been working with the therapeutic
courts since 1999. He said the reentry center opened in August
2013 and he began working at the center in March 2014.
He said the reentry center is community based and works in
partnership with employers, training opportunities, the
Department of Labor and more. He said that the reentry center is
a walk-in center that prefers to work with people on a same-day
basis. He said he believes that people cannot change without
first making a decision to change. Even though it can be helpful
to mandate or entice people, each person must be willing to
change. He stated the importance of encouraging good behavior
and offering participants support when people need it.
He explained that in the summertime about 45 people come into
the center on a given day and about twice that in the winter. He
said their clients work on their resumes, look for and apply for
jobs, or attend the substance abuse or peer support groups. The
center helps people with tangible needs like housing, bus
passes, and clothing during the process to integrate them back
into society. When he began working for the center, he said he
could never have imagined the number of people he would meet who
are a part of a multigenerational outside-of-society type of
family. Some of these people were raised on the street or in a
household engaged in criminal behavior. He said he is unsure if
he can fully appreciate the level of change someone must go
through to come from that type of situation and yet manage to
turn his/her life around.
2:51:44 PM
MR. SOPKO explained that the center works primarily with medium
to high risk offenders in the same way Mr. Galloway does with
the reentry coalition case management. The Partners for Progress
Reentry Center works almost exclusively with people who would
otherwise be homeless. He explained that someone must be
actively working towards their goals to continue transitional
housing. He briefly mentioned that the center helps people work
through barriers such as transportation and other basic needs.
He addressed the question Chair Hughes posed earlier. According
to Laura Brooks at the Department of Corrections, 880 people
with felony charges were released in 2018. He was unsure of the
number of people released for misdemeanor charges. He explained
that the center calculates how many clients are served during
the fiscal year not the calendar year. In FY 2019 over 1,600
clients came into the center. Some of those people came only a
couple times and never came back, while others stayed for a
couple of months to get back on their feet. He said he believes
the center probably sees the majority of the 880 clients, but he
could not say for certain. He noted that housing is a big focus
since most of their clients are homeless. When someone has a
more stable income, the reentry center will help clients pay the
first month's rent for a place of their own.
MR. SOPKO related that Partners for Progress's goals are to
reduce the number of crimes committed, increase public safety,
and reduce the number of victims. He mentioned that he has been
a victim of a minor crime, but many Alaskans have been the
victim of very serious crimes. He said that the center works
with people who usually have committed felony crimes. Partners
for Progress would like to reduce the state's costs and increase
public safety by teaching clients how to get along, stay out of
trouble, and become productive. He noted that the moving target
is the prosocial support designed to help people identify and
recognize their problems but realize their ability to change.
2:55:44 PM
MR. SOPKO said Partners for Progress provides clients with
support groups that promote prosocial change. The organization
offers cognitive behavioral therapy groups over the course of
three to six months with a facilitator. During this time the
clients use a workbook to help improve their prosocial thinking
and reduce criminal attitude. He noted that the reentry center
is located in downtown Anchorage near Fire Station One, but the
center accepts referrals from all over the state. The center can
accept people as a walk in within six months of release from any
facility including out of state facilities.
2:57:12 PM
MR. SOPKO discussed the DOC reentry process. He explained that
Partners for Progress is able to accept applications before
release, so the client knows where to go and what is expected of
them. When a client first arrives, he/she will meet with someone
from the center to discuss the tangibles in terms of looking for
work and preparing a resume. The center's goal is to connect
clients with prosocial groups and activities in the community to
help them stay out of trouble.
He said he would not review the barriers to reentry but pointed
out that when someone is homeless, the likelihood of recidivism
nearly doubles. Most people who recidivate will do so within the
first three months of being released. Oftentimes it is related
to the barriers of homelessness, transportation, and employment.
2:59:01 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD agreed that people must be willing to help
themselves. She offered her belief that some sort of assessment
should be done to identify if the person is ready to benefit
from help. She expressed concern about the amount of money that
goes into programs that are failing. She asked if he supports
having a model to screen people to determine readiness and
willingness to be helped.
MR. SOPKO answered yes, but he also believes it is important to
assess behavior. Someone who elects to go to classes and join
rehabilitation groups or vocational training shows a willingness
to try.
SENATOR REINBOLD talked about accountability and then asked what
percentage of statewide offenders are released in Anchorage.
MR. SOPKO answered that he was unsure but offered to follow up
with the information.
SENATOR REINBOLD thanked all the members and presenters. She
said she would review the remaining slides.
3:01:52 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Senator Reinbold and asked her to follow up
with the presenters if she has questions.
3:02:09 PM
MR. SOPKO displayed a photo of the Partners Reentry Center at
401 Barrow Street. He explained that it is a walk in center for
homeless reentrants, halfway house clients and others. Once
clients are set up with the reentry program, the center helps
them find temporary housing and work, address their tangible
needs, and help them to move forward. Clients are referred to
the Department of Labor or Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
to obtain job assistance or further employment training to help
them rise above the level of working poor.
3:03:33 PM
MR. SOPKO said the next few slides relate to the program's
values and assist [slides 10-11]. The centers program is a
voluntary program. The center reminds people the program is not
an entitlement. "Breaking into somebody's house does not entitle
you to a month's free rent from us. You have to want to change.
You have to acknowledge that you are in the wrong. You have to
look at the issues that brought you into the justice system."
Everyone is treated with respect and dignity and staff expects
to be treated that way too. The staff models good behavior and
helps clients navigate other interactions in their lives.
Obviously, if their clients are pushing staff around and do the
same to their employers, it will not result in success. Clients
who are able to work must find jobs within the first 30 days of
working with Partners in Progress or 45 days if the clients have
put in more than the minimum amount of time. This center is not
simply a place to "hang out" in, he said. People must be
motivated and move to accomplish their goals. The center exists
to assist clients and help them turn their lives around. The
center never denies service without giving the reason and
another option or referral to another program.
CHAIR HUGHES reminded him he had about five minutes to finish
his presentation. She indicated that members could review the
remaining slides.
MR. SOPKO agreed to use his remaining time to address the
questions Chair Hughes posed for presenters. In terms of
recidivism, Partners for Progress does not have access to ACOMS
(Alaskan Corrections Offender Management System), so the
organization performed its own internal study with 300 people,
of whom 150 were participants of the program and 150 were not
participants. The recidivism rate over an 18-month timeframe was
27 percent for participants and 48 percent for those who did not
participate.
3:06:35 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked him to update the data to match the state
definition for recidivism which requires a three-year timeframe.
MR. SOPKO agreed to do so. He said that Partners for Progress
has brainstormed about potential changes the state could make to
reduce recidivism, such as changing the barrier crimes matrix.
The current process prevents participants from being hired until
the employer has received a variance, which could take up to one
or two months. The employer may not want to hire the person but
cannot wait for the variance so the employer may decide to hire
someone without a record. If a client could apply for a
background variance, the person could be hired immediately, it
would help many avoid shift work usually found after being
released.
He offered another idea. He said that he was recently at Spring
Creek Correctional Center, but the facility lacks a substance
abuse training program. The program was put out to bid, but no
one bid on it. Many of those inmates have numerous infractions
and aren't eligible to be transferred to a facility that offers
treatment, so it would be helpful if these inmates had equal
access to training programs across all facilities.
3:08:48 PM
MR. SOPKO turned to work opportunities. He discussed the
Wildwood Correctional Center on the Kenai Peninsula, which
offers a summer program where clients work at a fish processing
plant and make minimum wage. This allows inmates to save enough
money to pay rent on their own once released. He said he thinks
it would be valuable if the Department of Corrections and the
Department of Labor & Workforce Development worked together to
create more apprenticeships or other work opportunities like
that for clients on electronic monitoring.
He highlighted the challenges and expense to find safe and sober
housing when inmates are released. He said he thinks money for
housing would be very helpful to reduce recidivism. He added
that it would also be helpful to provide more incentives for
inmates who are released, such as a means to earn back their
driver's licenses or reclaim their professional/occupational
licensure. He stated that Partners for Progress works well with
the Department of Corrections and receives many referrals from
probation officers as well as from the field office in Anchorage
before inmates are released. Partners for Progress holds ongoing
communications with probation officers once the clients start
the program, he said.
3:11:02 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the reentry center has contact with
offenders prior to release and if it would be helpful to go into
the prisons to hold classes to describe the services the center
provides.
MR. SOPKO answered that Partners for Progress currently goes
into the prisons to highlight the benefits of their program. The
center also takes applications from inmates. He said the
organization goes to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center and
the Anchorage (Correctional Complex) twice a month, to the
Spring Creek Correctional Center three to six times a year, and
to the Goose Creek Correctional Center four times a year.
3:12:05 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked for examples of when a background variance
would be needed or available.
MR. SOPKO answered that people need a background variance check
to work with a vulnerable population. The reentry center has
performed a background variance on some of its employees. He
listed examples of jobs that need a background check, including
home health care, social work, Southcentral Foundation or Cook
Inlet Tribal programs. Many of the companies follow the
background check variance as an internal guideline for human
resources purposes, he said.
3:13:18 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked about the handoff between services if there
is one.
MR. SOPKO answered the handoff is 50/50. He explained that many
reentrants have undergone treatment while inside institutions
and upon release are required to obtain a second assessment even
with a discharge recommendation. The difficulty arises because
substance abuse assessments and treatments do not always mesh in
a cohesive manner, so people must stop and start over. Sometimes
people are kicked out of classes because of their inappropriate
choices but some agencies want to perform their own assessments
before working with the individuals. He said the vocational
classes offer good start up experiences for people, but the
skills gained are not always what employers need. For example,
someone might complete a 20-hour OSHA [Occupational Safety and
Health Administration] safety class when a contractor requires a
40-hour class. Another difficulty arises when a person may have
simulated experience but no practical experience. It's also
problematic if inmates are only halfway through a cognitive
behavioral program at the time of release. These individuals
will need their workbook for that class to count in order to
continue the program outside of prison. If these individuals do
not have the book post-incarceration, the offenders must start
over.
3:16:02 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said many employers have a policy of not hiring
felons. He asked if reentry organizations have thought about
approaching the state to give tax credits to employers to
incentivize them to take a chance on hiring a certain category
of offender on a case-by-case basis.
MR. SOPKO answered that employers can use federal work
opportunities or tax credit and fidelity bonding to be eligible
for a $5,000 tax break up to a certain threshold if the
employers hire people with a criminal background. He said the
background check requirements serve as a barrier since the
process is often costly for employers. Unfortunately, most
people that come to the reentry center have more than one
offense and have burned their bridges of support with their
families and communities, he said.
3:18:25 PM
SENATOR SHOWER, participating via teleconference, said he did
not have any questions.
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Mr. Sopko for his presentation.
^Set Free Alaska
3:18:47 PM
CHAIR HUGHES welcomed the next presenter, Sherry Hill.
3:19:10 PM
SHERRY HILL, Operations Director, Set Free Alaska, Inc.,
Wasilla, Alaska, gave a Power Point, "Set Free Alaska, Inc." She
reviewed the first slide.
Who We Are ??
Set Free Alaska is a Substance Abuse Treatment Center
that uses a mind-body-spirit approach to recovery.
Servic
-Outpatient & Intensive Outpatient
-Peer Support
-Women's Residential (Adult Women, Pregnant Women and
Women with Children) Future Growth
-Men's Residential (Adult Men and Men with Children)
She explained that Set Free Alaska is a substance abuse
treatment center located in the Mat-Su Valley that has been
providing services for about 11 years. The center offers
outpatient services and most recently peer support, which is the
missing link. It is greatly beneficial when a client has the
support of someone with shared life experience.
MS. HILL highlighted that Set Free just received a grant from
the Mat-Su Health Foundation for child behavioral health
services. It is offered in four schools and the early
intervention will help at-risk children. She said that their
women's residential treatment center is the only one in the
state that accepts pregnant women or women with children. For
future growth plans, the center has applied for a grant that
will open a men's residential center sometime next year in
Homer. It will be the only place in Alaska to accept men with
children. She noted that the residential treatment centers are
available to any Alaskan resident. Set Free is also opening an
outpatient center in Homer, she said.
3:21:26 PM
CHAIR HUGHES reiterated that Set Free will be opening a men's
residential treatment center as well as an outpatient center
next year in Homer. Set Free is currently based in Mat-Su, but
the organization is expanding its operation.
MS. HILL explained that Set Free offers peer support crisis
stabilization for someone who may not be in treatment yet but is
in a crisis. This support helps these individuals find the
stability needed to be ready to come in and receive treatment.
She added that Set Free is willing to do crisis stabilization
within the prisons and help connect people to the treatments and
services upon release.
MS. HILL turned to the slides relating to 2019 outcomes and
outpatient services for adults. She explained intensive
outpatient services are for clients in need of more intense
treatment, such as high IV users, so it is longer hours and more
clinical time.
3:23:40 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked her to point out the statewide average of
adults who complete outpatient services.
MS. HILL answered that the statewide average is 39 percent.
3:24:06 PM
MS. HILL turned to the slide relating to peer support. She said
last year Set Free expanded its peer support so it could offer
more services where people can do silver light. She stated that
the treatment center created a softball team and their first
game was against the correctional officers.
CHAIR HUGHES asked for the name of the team.
MS. HILL answered that the team name was Chain Breakers. She
explained that other agencies are invited to join on hikes and
campouts with clients. She said she believes these activities go
a long way in helping someone recover.
MS. HILL reported that 59 percent of women's residential
completed treatment compared to the statewide average of 39
percent. There were 14 total reunifications, which indicates
great success. The partnership with the Office of Children's
Services (OCS) is strong. There have been children born to two
sober moms who were attending VORTC) (Valley Oaks Residential
Treatment Center).
3:25:31 PM
MS. HILL displayed data relating to Children's Behavioral
Health. She reported that with early intervention, 42 percent of
the 65 children with trauma completed treatment, which is above
the statewide average.
3:25:43 PM
MS. HILL displayed the following data on the slide relating to
overall outcomes for all programs:
• 82 percent Evidence Decrease in Substance Use
• 69 percent Improvement on Quality of Life Domains
• 94 percent Treated with Respect and Satisfied with
Services
• 77 percent Stated Served Improved Their Overall
Quality of Life
• 69 percent Increase in Hours Engaged in Productive
Activities During the Week (Work, Volunteering,
Subsistence)
She noted that these statistics came from AKAIMS through the
Client Status Review. She also directed attention to the next
slide that highlights mental health improvement indicators.
3:26:12 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked how these outcomes compare to other programs
throughout state.
MS. HILL answered that the data is not available at AKAIMS.
3:26:38 PM
MS. HILL reviewed the following slide relating to unique
populations and referral sources:
Unique Populations
• 10 Pregnant Women Served
• 59 Injection Users Served
Referral Source
• 33 percent OCS
• 27 percent ASAP
• 40 percent Courts/Probation/DOC
• 49 percent Overall (OCS, DOC, Courts and
Probation
She explained that Set Free monitors how individuals receive
their referrals. She said they have seen a reduction in ASAP
referrals, but she believes it is attributed to the new
legislation and will increase over time.
3:27:35 PM
MS. HILL turned to the slide that lists ways to partner. She
read the following:
• Warm Hand-Off Prior to Release
• Peer Support Engagement
• Connect to Treatment
• Workforce Development
• Sober Living
• Continued Partnership with the Therapeutic Courts
3:28:48 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked how long AKAIMS tracks the outcome
improvements after treatment.
MS. HILL answered that the Division of Behavioral Health
requires a Client Status Review survey at the time of discharge.
3:29:54 PM
SENATOR KIEHL referenced the slide that lists referral sources
and asked if the data indicates that 49 percent of people who
come in are referred.
MS. HILL clarified that 49 percent of the clients Set Free takes
in are referred by the Court System.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if 51 percent are not from those
organizations.
MS. HILL explained that 49 percent of the clients the center
took in were from the OCS, the DOC, and the courts; 33 percent
from OCS, 27 percent from ASAP, and 40 percent from the courts.
3:31:25 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE offered his belief that DOC needs more pretrial
services. He noted that Set Free offers some of these services,
but the treatment center is not necessarily court dependent. He
asked how to better inform inmates about pretrial services.
MS. HILL stated that many prisoners do not qualify for pretrial
treatment services or even Medicaid because they do not have any
means of payment for the treatment. This creates a gap in
services and makes it difficult for Set Free to treat clients
during the pretrial phase.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if money were not an issue, whether Set Free
would have a beneficial program for those incarcerated for only
60 to 90 days until pretrial.
3:33:20 PM
MS. HILL answered that an assessment would be helpful to provide
clients with the appropriate services like peer support or basic
education upon reentrance.
CHAIR HUGHES disclosed that her husband had served on the board
of this organization and she knew the founder and executive
director. She said she has heard of the success stories from
people who have gone through the Set Free program. It is a
tremendous asset to the community. She said she was very excited
that Set Free has a vision to expand statewide. She wondered if
Set Free would be interested as well as have the resources to
offer substance abuse treatment behind the walls of the prisons
and how their program compares to the other substance abuse
programs in the state.
3:35:46 PM
MS. HILL answered that the outcomes she shared earlier were
completion rates compared to other providers. She said that
AKAIMS data does not show how a specific provider compares to
Set Free Alaska. It only shows how Set Free's programs compare
generally to other providers. She noted that the Set Free team
is always willing to sit down and discuss issues to help better
Alaskans.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if she was tracking recidivism rates or
relapses of substance abuse and how that compares to the
statewide average.
MS. HILL answered that clients are tracked during their
treatment with Set Free but afterwards, the organization does
not have any way to track if these clients have been involved
with the courts or involved in any criminal activity. She said
part of the CSR is to actively ask clients for their involvement
in any subsequent criminal activity.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if there was a formal way to stay in contact
once the clients complete the Set Free program.
MS. HILL answered that contact after treatment is invited
through peer support and Set Free does offer sober activities to
keep clients engaged. Clients who have completed intensive
outpatient treatment will go into aftercare which provides
monthly check-ins until the clients are ready to successfully
reenter society. She noted that aftercare is also provided for
women's residential treatment.
3:38:34 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if she could give any recommendations on how
to follow up with clients three years after completing their
program. She highlighted the importance of this data.
MS. HILL answered that funding would be required to study
individuals after treatment. It can be difficult because people
move around or move out of state. She noted that she sees
success stories every day in her community. She said she agrees
that there could be a better follow-up study on clients post
treatment.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if she sees people who used to be a part of
the Set Free program eight or nine years ago that are still
doing well within the community.
MS. HILL answered yes; some of those clients now work for Set
Free. For example, the current case manager at Set Free used to
be in the program. She said Set Free goes through the process of
background checks because the center hires a lot of people with
lived experience.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Senator Shower, participating via
teleconference, if he had any questions for Ms. Hill.
SENATOR SHOWER said he had no questions.
^61Sixty Social Impact Lab
3:40:34 PM
CHAIR HUGHES welcomed Ryan Ray.
3:41:18 PM
RYAN RAY, Founder and Senior Partner, 61Sixty Social Impact Lab,
Palmer, Alaska, thanked the committee for being here today. He
offered his belief that all the resources needed to solve this
problem are right here in this room and that gives him a
significant amount of hope. He said that to address recidivism,
it is important to discuss the issue of generational impact.
3:42:31 PM
MR. RAY explained that he is a passionate social innovator who
does what he can to improve the lives of Alaskans. He said he
recently created 61Sixty Social Impact Lab as a platform for
creative problem solving concerning complex social challenges.
He said he believes that stakeholders should be brought together
to develop new interventions and creative solutions to drive
answers to this problem moving forward.
3:43:06 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked him to mention his work with the legislature
and the university.
3:43:12 PM
MR. RAY explained that in a 2013 Senate Finance meeting, Senator
Pete Kelly and Jeff Jessee, the former CEO of the Alaska Mental
Health Trust, realized the committee was discussing issues
regarding health and social challenges that had already been
discussed and nothing had changed. Senator Kelly hired Mr.
Jessee to work with the Senate Finance committee to help the
state develop innovative solutions to these challenges,
specifically in this type of fiscal environment. He noted that
they soon realized that the state was operating from a data
deficit and that the public university should be a partner on
this issue. Mr. Ray said that he transitioned to the university
to work as a health policy fellow where he connects the applied
health research capability of the university with the needs of
the legislature and the executive branch to solve these types of
issues.
3:44:36 PM
MR. RAY read the vision of 61 Sixty and the goals of the
discussion today:
The Vision
All Alaskans thrive to the fullest of their potential,
experience the truth of their self-worth, and become
powerful forces for good in their families and in
their communities.
Goals of Today's Discussion:
1. Discuss the Problem and its Determinants
2. Clarify the Sources of Cost Savings
3. Present a Three Phase Way Forward
He encouraged the members to adopt a vision that goes beyond
recidivism reduction or reincarceration because there is so much
more to Alaskans and to life.
3:46:00 PM
MR. RAY stated that the Oxford dictionary defines recidivism as
"the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend." He said the
problem is that formerly incarcerated individuals continue to
commit crimes and abuse drugs and alcohol following their
release. The correlation between drug and alcohol abuse and
criminal behavior and recidivism is clearly defined. Nationally,
about 1.5 million incarcerated individuals have addiction
disorders, which is 63 percent of the total population of
Americans who are incarcerated.
MR. RAY explained that these individuals face many challenges
once released. It is more than just finding housing or a new
job. He highlighted that these individuals are 129 times more
likely to die from a drug overdose within the first two weeks
after reentry. The Bureau Justice Statistics completed a nine-
year study of reincarceration rates in 30 states which included
Alaska. It shows 77 percent of individuals are reincarcerated
for a new offense within five years of release. After nine
years, the number increases to 82 percent. Most individuals are
rearrested and reincarcerated within the first year after their
release. He said that the Department of Corrections website
reports that 92 percent of Alaskans who are reincarcerated still
require substance abuse treatment. He stated that this is a very
solvable problem.
3:48:11 PM
MR. RAY stated that to fully address this issue, the
determinants of recidivism and relapse must be understood. First
is human relationships, since it is critical for someone to have
quality relationships that support positive behavior. The second
determinant is social norms. These are the unspoken rules of
behavior within the correctional facility or within society that
people must follow. For example, laws do not disqualify anyone
for employment because of a felony on their record. The non-hire
is driven by fear and social norms. He explained that the
transition phase of adopting new social norms can create anxiety
in individuals, which can bring them back to prison. Third is
access to treatment for addiction, health care, and pain
management. Fourth is having a supportive environment that
includes safe and sober housing and the community in which an
individual lives that promotes recovery. Fifth, economic
stability and viability are crucial to recover. He stated that
these individuals need careers, not just jobs. Finally, the
level of resilience and hope that a person experiences is
important. He emphasized that to address recidivism, every
determinant must be addressed.
3:50:44 PM
MR. RAY stated that the model to address the challenge of
recidivism can occur in four phases. He read the following:
1. The "Warm Handoff"
Relational Reintegration:
? Peer Support
? Disrupting Prison Social Norms
? Bridging the gap in the transition between services
the institution and in the community
2. Access to Care
Opportunities for Rehabilitation:
? Behind the Walls
In the Community
3. Personal Stability
Overcoming Determinants:
? Housing
? Economic Stability
? Positive Peer Connection
? Total Health
4. Social Systems
Sense of Belonging:
? Subverting Negative Social Norms in the community
? Personal Resilience
? Community Restoration
He explained that for a model to be effective, it must be
comprehensive but with that comes complexity and high costs. The
challenge is to meet the demand. He highlighted that legislators
have a burden and desire to set good policy and an expectation
of what the policy can and will accomplish.
He stated that the three primary cost factors in the
correctional system are facilities and infrastructure, personnel
and staff operations, and mandatory medical care. Traditionally,
cost savings are found through closing a facility, laying off
personnel and staff operations, and preventing mandatory medical
care sch as for Hepatitis C.
3:53:31 PM
MR. RAY emphasized the importance of understanding the average
cost versus the marginal cost in correctional facilities. He
said there is a lot of discussion about the average cost of $170
per day to incarcerate and house an individual. That figure is
the average cost, which is the total cost divided by the number
of inmates. If it costs $170 per day, it will cost $62,050 per
person per year, he said. Using those figures, reducing the
number of inmates by 250 would yield a $15.5 million savings.
While this looks appealing, it is not accurate because
correctional systems operate on a marginal cost basis, not an
average cost basis.
He explained that the marginal cost is the cost of adding or
subtracting one inmate and that number ebbs and flows every day.
The literature indicates that it is 12 to 20 percent of the
average cost. Thus, the marginal cost of keeping 250 people
incarcerated would be $3.1 million. Marginal cost factors
include food, medical care, and clothing but not the cost of
lights or staff. That means it would not cost $62,050 to
incarcerate someone for a year because the lights are already
on, the water bill would be about the same, and staffing
wouldn't change. The costs for that new inmate would come from
food and clothing. He said it is important to know that if
policies are created to decrease incarceration levels and are
based on average costs, then those policies will not meet
expectations.
MR. RAY reviewed the data on the slide titled, Identifying Cost
Savings.
Incarceration v. New Crime
Marginal Cost of 1 Additional Inmate
(.20 x $62,050 x 1 = $12,410 annually)
Average Marginal Cost of a New Crime
(Excluding Murder) = $71,659
Reducing Recidivism v. Sentencing
Reduced Sentencing Savings = Marginal Cost
($12,410 per year)
Reduced Recidivism Savings = Cost of New Crime
($71,659 per crime)
He said that the additional cost of an additional inmate is
about $12,410 annually. However, the average marginal cost of a
new crime, excluding murder, is $71,659. This includes lawyers,
state troopers, investigators, victim services, property
damages, and more. He said that when comparing reducing
recidivism versus reducing sentencing costs, it is important to
understand that sentencing cost savings are on a marginal cost
basis of $12,000 per year. However, the reduction of recidivism
operates with the new cost of crime, which is $72,000.
MR. RAY emphasized that it is costly to have a strategy that
only focuses on reducing incarceration and not recidivism. For
example, if 100 people were released for five years, the savings
would be $6.2 million in marginal costs. However, 77 percent of
those individuals will commit a new crime in that five year
period and that costs $27.6 million. He said the impacts of this
were seen with some of the policies in Senate Bill 91 that
focused on reducing incarceration costs. The net cost of that
strategy for those 500 individuals is $21.4 million.
If the same number of people were released, $15 million was
invested in a new reentry program over five years, and the new
crime level was reduced to 10 percent, the state would realize a
net savings of $15.2 million.
3:58:15 PM
MR. RAY turned to the slide titled, The Way Forward. He restated
that the capability to make change is possible. He expressed
that the challenge lies in creating a platform for a unified
model for individual organizations to communicate operationally.
In this financial climate, he said the question is how to scale
up proven interventions. He said he would propose a three-phase
way forward. The first is to establish a public-private
partnership to address criminal recidivism and addiction
challenges. The second is to launch a new reentry prototype that
addresses all determinants of recidivism and relapse. This can
be done with all service providers working together. The third
is to fund the model with a social impact bond financing
mechanism. These leverage private sector investment to rapidly
scale up proven interventions.
3:59:45 PM
MR. RAY stated that 61sixty is the Alaska Recidivism Reduction
project. It is a public-private partnership that strategically
addresses criminal recidivism and addiction challenges in
Alaska. It considers the tactical approach that brings all the
key stakeholders into the process, including individuals with
lived experience. He said these partnerships are commonly seen
in Alaska's emergency management, since they are very focused
operationally on solving a problem. He said the project he is
proposing would be completed in about three years and would be
used to strategically launch new interventions. He said one of
the main benefits is that it would shift the responsibility for
solution development from the government onto a community-based
collaboration. He said this model would also allow the Alaska
Criminal Justice Commission to focus on policy and use the
partnership to bring all of the providers together to develop a
model and test it.
4:01:23 PM
MR. RAY reviewed the R4 Prototype for reentry, recovery,
reintegration, and restoration. He explained that the R4
Prototype is based on the Norway model and the European Union's
model of reentry, restoration and recovery. The reentry phase
focuses on peer support and transition. Peer support includes
treatment and job training provided in the correctional
facilities 90 days before someone is released. He noted that the
key is to have a smooth transition of those services for
offenders who renter the communities. The recovery phase is for
individuals who need addiction treatment. They are transitioned
into a level 3.1 residential substance abuse treatment program.
Treatment in the home addresses access to treatment and safe and
sober housing. Access to health care services and other medical
needs are provided. The reintegration phase builds careers. It
can be a continuation of the skills inmates were learning during
incarceration but also includes career training, building
community connections, and creating economic stability and
viability. The restoration phase is focused on stability and
resilience and creating full community reintegration. In this
phase the individuals can transition into private housing and
create a positive community impact, he said.
4:03:41 PM
MR. RAY displayed the Social Impact Bond Financing slides. He
offered his belief that the social impact bond financing
mechanism has proven to be successful in other parts of the
United States as well as Europe. However, this model has not
been used to address recidivism. He said he believes this is an
opportunity for Alaska to take a strong leadership role. He
explained that it is not a bond in the traditional sense, but
rather a partnership between private sector investors,
government payers, and service providers to offer specific
services to a specific group of people. That group is
independently evaluated and facilitated by individuals like
himself who act as an intermediary. He said the private sector
investment is provided upfront which expedites the use of proven
interventions and shifts the entire model to an outcome-based
mechanism. He opined that the social impact bond mechanism is a
great way to ensure programs are producing the desired results.
He continued that the government then pays back the principal
and a return based on the achievement of the outcomes. This
allows the government to know exactly which programs are working
and the tangible benefits and social impacts of the programs
before paying for them.
MR. RAY related that when the Senate Finance Committee reviewed
expenditures and outcomes of social programs in 2013, they found
$332 million was unaccounted for. This demonstrates that there
is a lot of credit for initiating new programs, but little
follow up as to whether the programs work. He stated that the
social impact bond model shifts that, but still provides enough
resources for the service providers to accomplish their mission.
The potential challenge for the government is to find investors
to invest $12 to $15 million into a social program. He suggested
that if social impact bonds were treated as a deferred
maintenance budget line, the upfront capital would be fully
leveraged and potentially guarantee a return of the principal,
and then base the return on investment on the achieved outcomes.
Ultimately, the cost of recidivism is currently impacting
society and Alaska is paying for it either way. You either pay
for the solution or pay for the problem. He suggested that the
deferred maintenance budget line could be discussed in more
detail in the coming months.
4:07:23 PM
MR. RAY said to recap, recidivism is common and costly and a
strategy to address it must include all the determinants. It's
important to understand the average versus the marginal cost
savings when considering policy expectations. Also, that
reducing new crime is probably going to be the greatest source
of savings. He also highlighted the public-private partnership,
R4 Prototype, and the social impact bond.
He reported that two weeks ago the governor spoke at a Set Free
Alaska fundraiser and stated that "those people are us." They
are Alaskans, family members, cousins, neighbors, or coworkers
who are worth investing in. He asked the committee to consider
the potential economic and societal impact if these individuals
were viewed as one of Alaska's greatest undeveloped resources.
4:09:24 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked him to discuss the potential savings and the
number of people who would be helped if there were a pilot with
private investors upfront.
MR. RAY said the two $100 million accounts that the Alaska
Permanent Fund Corporation set aside two weeks ago to impact and
invest in Alaska provide an excellent possibility. For example,
if the state could get $12.5 million upfront to start seven
homes that each house 16 people per year for five years, that
calculates to 112 individuals per year or 560 individuals in a
five-year period. If the state were to save $12.5 million up
front with a 25 percent return on investment (ROI), after five
years it would result in $15 million. He surmised that the
savings from offenders not committing new crimes, or at least
reducing overall crimes by 10 percent, would save the state an
additional $15 million.
4:11:53 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he did not disagree with Mr. Ray. He
reported that sexual assaults in Alaska are twice the national
average and Anchorage is number two in the country for the
number of murders, suicides, substance abuse and domestic
violence crimes. He offered his belief that Alaska needs a
cradle-to-grave approach because the number of new criminals
rises each year. It is ineffective to only deal with those who
are incarcerated, he said. Some people lack supportive
relationships, their families are disintegrating, and it leads
Alaska further downhill. Many inmates do not have good role
models and do not know any better behavior. He offered his
belief that crime figures will not go down until this core issue
is dealt with. It needs to be dealt with comprehensively and not
with silos. He said that all states have similar problems, but
the problems in Alaska are amplified and unique.
MR. RAY agreed. He responded that one of the greatest
motivations for programs like Set Free Alaska was an opportunity
to focus on trauma and children's programs. He said the reason
he has proposed a public-private partnership is to decrease the
existence of the operational silos and to create a dynamic that
brings all of the stakeholders together to help them move in the
same direction.
4:14:42 PM
CHAIR HUGHES encouraged the members to begin to think about a
pilot project. She offered her belief that members want
offenders to have comprehensive opportunities from beginning to
end to ensure that all Alaskans are valued. She related that she
has been working with Mr. Ray to bring stakeholders together.
She noted Mr. Ray's capstone project for his PhD focuses on
recidivism reduction. She said she would like to involve the
committee in this process to hold discussions on the full
spectrum of the issues Senator Micciche highlighted. She offered
her belief that a public-private partnership to help improve
outcomes across the state was worth considering. Alaska cannot
keep on doing what it has been doing since its resources need to
be used wisely and effectively, so it must look at new options,
she said. She asked if a date and location for the next
stakeholder meeting has been set.
MR. RAY replied that the next stakeholder meeting was
tentatively scheduled for November 7th, partnering with tech
giant Oracle to bring extra resources to Alaska to solve these
problems.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the meeting would be in Anchorage.
MR. RAY answered yes.
CHAIR HUGHES noted that the meeting would not be listed in the
committee announcements, but that she would inform the members
and post it to social media.
4:18:11 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked about doing something different and the
scalability of his model to those people who will not walk in.
MR. RAY replied that scalability is always going to be a
challenge because of the financial aspect and the workforce in
Alaska. He said he does believe that it can be scaled and
correlated with the policies and the philosophical approach of
corrections. If the correction system is viewed as a punitive
environment then access to services will not be available, but
if corrections is looked at as a rehabilitative opportunity then
services will be. He said the question is how fast can Alaska
scale and what philosophical environment would facilitate those
nonvolunteering individuals to enter these programs. He asked
how the rehabilitative culture could be built up in Alaska's
society and system through a policy approach.
4:20:31 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE opined that investing in lives prior to their
entering the system is important. There is a huge population in
Alaska that is failing at life for the exact same reasons
someone becomes incarcerated. To dramatically reduce crime,
those factors must go away, he said.
4:21:40 PM
CHAIR HUGHES agreed. She noted that if those 560 individuals
went through a program and after release in society, these
offenders could find good jobs and start families, they could
change that cycle for the future generations. She offered her
belief that the state needs to reach the full spectrum, and this
is a start.
4:22:10 PM
SENATOR SHOWER summarized that phase one was intended to get the
criminal justice system working efficiently again. The second
phase would address rehabilitation as a means to break the
cycle. He thanked Chair Hughes for scheduling the presentations
since it provides a great start for this discussion.
4:23:04 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked the presenters. She expressed her
willingness to hear suggestions from members about other
entities to come before the committee. She thanked Senator Kiehl
for forwarding contact information for the reentry and recovery
manager of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian
Tribes of Alaska. She said she has also been in touch with TLC
[Transforming Living Communities] and the chaplains of the
Anchorage Correctional Complex. She said she hopes to showcase
these programs to the committee because these highly successful
organizations have tremendous models. She said that she would
like to see these programs expanded across the state.
4:25:16 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Hughes adjourned the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting at 4:25 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SJUD Agenda 10.10.19.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| MyHouse.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| DayBreak Inc..pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| Partners for Progress.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| Set Free Alaska.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |
| 61Sixty Social Impact Lab.pdf |
SJUD 10/10/2019 1:00:00 PM |
Recidivism Hearing 10.10.19 |