Legislature(2019 - 2020)SENATE FINANCE 532
01/24/2019 03:00 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
SENATE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
January 24, 2019
3:05 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
SENATE JUDICIARY
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Lora Reinbold, Vice Chair
Senator Mike Shower
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Jesse Kiehl
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
Senator Mike Shower, Chair
Senator John Coghill, Vice Chair
Senator Lora Reinbold
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Scott Kawasaki
MEMBERS ABSENT
SENATE JUDICIARY
All members present
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION(S):
Commissioner - Department of Corrections
Nancy Dahlstrom - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Commissioner - Department of Public Safety
Amanda Price - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
NANCY DAHLSTROM, Commissioner Designee
Department of Corrections (DOC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as nominee for commissioner of the
Department of Corrections.
AMANDA PRICE, Commissioner Designee
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as nominee for commissioner of the
Department of Public Safety.
RALPH SAMUELS, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of confirmation of
commissioner designees Dahlstrom and Price.
MARCIA DAVIS, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Price.
CHRIS THOMAS, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Price.
JAMES COCKRELL, Col. Ret., AST, representing self
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Price.
GERALD GODFREY, representing self
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designees Price and Dahlstrom.
CAROLYN PORTER, representing self
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Price.
KRIS PITTS, representing self
Maine
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Price.
JEN WINKELMAN, Director
Probation Parole Pretrial
Department of Corrections
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of confirmation of
commissioner designee Dahlstrom.
MARC ANTRIM, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of confirmation of
commissioner designee Dahlstrom.
RANDY MCLELLAN, President
Alaska Correctional Officers Association (ACOA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Dahlstrom.
DEREK JOHNSON, Staff Sergeant; Board Member, Region 8
Alaska Correctional Officers Association (ACOA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Dahlstrom.
MIKE COONS, President
Greater Alaskan Chapter of Alaska Association of Mature Citizens
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of commissioner
designee Dahlstrom and commissioner designee Price.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:05:16 PM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the joint meeting of the Senate
Judiciary Standing Committee and the Senate State Affairs
Standing Committee to order at 3:05 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Shower, Kiehl, Micciche, Reinbold and Chair
Hughes from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee and Senators
Reinbold, Micciche, Kawasaki and Chair Shower from the Senate
State Affairs Standing Committee. Senator Coghill arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Commissioner, Department of Corrections
Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
3:06:41 PM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the business of the meeting would be
confirmation hearings for commissioner of the Department of
Corrections (DOC) and commissioner of the Department of Public
Safety (DPS).
She said she would take public testimony after hearing from the
commissioner designees. She welcomed the public to submit
written testimony to senate.judiciary@akleg.gov.
3:07:41 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked Nancy Dahlstrom, commissioner designee for
the Department of Corrections to come forward to testify.
3:07:47 PM
NANCY DAHLSTROM, Commissioner Designee, Department of
Corrections (DOC) stated she has lived in Alaska for nearly 40
years, and she and and her husband have four children and ten
grandchildren. She said her work experience is in both the
public and private sector, including that she previously
represented Eagle River in the legislature, serving in the House
[of Representatives] for eight years. Governor Dunleavy asked
her to serve as commissioner of the Department of Corrections
and she was honored to accept the position.
She provided the DOC's goal, which is to provide a safe and
secure environment, reformative programs and a process of
supervised community integration to achieve enhanced safety in
the department. She said her vision is to accomplish this
mission while maintaining safety for employees and inmates. She
characterized the field of corrections as a balance between
toughness and compassion. Although she does not have any
experience in the field of corrections, but she brings to this
job a background of educational and professional skill sets. She
can identify problems and opportunities and can create a plan to
address them, build a qualified team to implement and execute
decisions, she said, which makes her the right choice for the
job. She said she takes the job of commissioner very seriously
and is up to the challenge.
3:10:07 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM related that during her eight
weeks at DOC, she has already accomplished a few things,
including suspending and amending policies she believes will
help make citizens safer and help recognize victims' rights. She
said she returned the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (HMCC)
to an all-women's facility by moving 37 men from HMCC to the
Anchorage Correctional Complex (ACC), along with the very
successful 18-month transitional living program (TLC). Ms.
Dahlstrom said this will allow her to fully reinstate the TLC
program to a broader group of nearly 300 women inmates at HMCC
and institute other women's programs that were displaced when
the facility housed both men and women. She said that change
satisfies the goal of providing inmates with an opportunity to
grow. She highlighted that the ACC decision was based on the
proximity to the DOC's volunteer base. Not everyone has been
pleased with the decision.
She reported that the DOC has a dedicated staff of nearly 1,900
employees. In addition to ensuring that the institutions run
smoothly, she is committed to the programs the department offers
for sex offenders and faith-based substance abuse programs
designed to help inmates reenter society as law-abiding
citizens. Ms. Dahlstrom thanked the committee for the
opportunity to testify and said she looks forward to working
with the [committee and legislature].
3:12:17 PM
CHAIR HUGHES, referring to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) overview recently presented to the Senate Finance
Committee. She related her understanding that each of the
commissioners were asked to define the department's mission and
identify their priorities. She asked Ms. Dahlstrom to provide
the DOC's mission and her first few priorities and if this is a
change from the prior administration.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said the DOC's mission is to
keep the DOC's residents safe and provide programs for them to
improve and learn. She acknowledged that some inmates will take
advantage of these programs while others will not. She has been
in the process of reviewing many programs and she will continue
to do so.
3:13:26 PM
CHAIR HUGHES commended her for moving swiftly to remove the day
pass program and amnesty box practices.
3:13:44 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD expressed concern that the former commissioner
of the DOC was non-responsive and arrogantly disregarded
concerns from trail users, church members, community members and
even a unanimous resolution against housing male inmates at a
female correctional facility. She asked the record to reflect
how much the [Eagle River] community council appreciated
commissioner designee Dahlstrom's responsiveness in removing the
amnesty box, the day passes and transferring leases, which was
unanimously supported at a well-attended community council
meeting. She thanked Ms. Dahlstrom for her responsiveness to the
community's concerns. She related that the HMCC is within a
quarter of a mile to trails, schools and the Eagle Point
residential subdivision. She asked Ms. Dahlstrom to keep the
community council informed, particularly since the last
commissioner failed to do so. She related her understanding that
approximately 300 inmates are housed in the facility and it is
important to keep the community informed.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she was willing to commit
to be open to the committee and to the legislature about things
that are happening at the HMCC.
SENATOR REINBOLD clarified that she was not asking Ms. Dahlstrom
to impart confidential information. However, she pointed out
when five overdoses occurred in a one-week span in a facility,
it pointed to an issue with contraband within the facility.
3:16:15 PM
SENATOR COGHILL joined the meeting.
3:16:55 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that he met with Ms. Dahlstrom earlier.
He said he supports the repeal and replacement of some aspects
of the criminal justice system. He offered his belief that one
program that could be very effective is the pretrial enforcement
program. He asked for her view on continuing the pretrial and
whether she finds the program has value.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said the pretrial functions are
important. She explained that if the governor's bill, introduced
yesterday, passes in its current form it would eliminate a
separate division for pretrial, but the responsibilities would
be rolled under probation and parole and the DOC would still
have oversight.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked for her vision and plans for prison
industries since the industries can help prepare inmates for
life after incarceration. He asked whether she had any plans to
reevaluate the potential of prison industries.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she believes in the value
of good hard work. She agreed that prison industries are
beneficial, and she is currently in the process of reviewing the
function. She recalled the Lemon Creek Correctional Center
(LCCC) in Juneau previously housed a laundry. The work is
beneficial for many reasons, she said.
3:18:57 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI said Senate Bill (SB) 32 would repeal and
replace Senate Bill 91, which would increase sentencing ranges
and probation lengths. He said that SB 33 would also eliminate
the credit for electronic monitoring in pretrial status. He
anticipated these changes would mean longer stays for inmates in
the correctional system. He recalled that in the past several
years the legislature appropriated $10 million in supplemental
appropriations for the DOC. He asked Ms. Dahlstrom if she
anticipated the department would need additional funds or
supplemental appropriations [under the governor's bills.]
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM anticipated the DOC would need
extra beds if [SB 32] passed in its current form. She further
stated that the DOC would evaluate the current inmate
population, acknowledging that everything is on the table as far
as housing.
SENATOR KAWASAKI referred to an article he attributed to the
Alaska Journal of Commerce that the state might pursue a private
prison model for an out-of-state contract, like one the state
previously had to house Alaska inmates in Colorado or Arizona.
He asked whether that proposal was under consideration given
that the prison population is "maxed out." He offered his belief
that the state would either need to bring new facilities online
or find other beds. He asked whether that was still part of the
mix.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM answered yes, that proposal is
still on the table.
SENATOR KAWASAKI recalled a report several years ago by the
administration that identified the total ratio of correctional
officers to inmates. He recalled that the figure was deemed
roughly half of what was necessary. He asked how she plans to
reconcile that report or how she would handle what he
characterized as an unsafe setting within the correctional
system.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM answered that recruitment and
retention is important in many aspects of public safety. She
said she was certainly reviewing this and would be interested in
reading the article Senator Kawasaki referenced. She
acknowledged that she does not have all the answers today.
3:22:17 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD said she had worked for years on a trail
project in her community that once consisted of 200 volunteers.
She recalled that a previous commissioner had allowed the female
inmates to assist in the project. She characterized them as the
best volunteers she had during the five years she was involved.
She asked Ms. Dahlstrom to continue to support the program. She
offered her belief that the program was previously well run,
despite some hindrances that led to lock-downs any time the
women were moved She briefly discussed the process of using
inmates. She asked for her vision in terms of workforce reentry
programs for inmates. She offered her belief it was important
for male and female inmates to be busy, to feel productive and
to help become prepared for reentry to their communities.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she believes hard work and
volunteerism is good for everyone and she will be reviewing
whether to continue these programs since they can provide many
benefits.
3:24:17 PM
SENATOR COGHILL acknowledged proposals to change [criminal]
statutes [will be considered before the legislature.] He asked
Ms. Dahlstrom whether she intends to follow the current law as
it stands until the criminal laws change. He said that a
significant number of inmates will likely be released. He
emphasized the need for the department to have a planning
process to reduce recidivism and maintain safety for the public.
Although it may not be the focus of the administration, post-
incarceration planning will fall into Ms. Dahlstrom's realm and
he asked for her view. During his work on [Senate Bill 91] on
prison reform, he tried to keep the corrections function within
the DOC to keep people safe. He said that post-incarceration
planning was something he tried to address. Currently, the
planning process begins 90 days prior to an inmate's release,
although he was unsure if the changes [in Senate Bill 91] were
fully implemented. Notwithstanding proposed changes, he asked
her to use a new set of eyes identify things she thinks could be
done better in terms of post-incarceration planning.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM agreed to follow the law as it
currently stands. In further response to Senator Coghill, Ms.
Dahlstrom briefly described her post-incarceration planning,
noting the department would fail its inmates if it released them
without any planning. She said she intends to have thorough
planning in place for inmates to provide them with the best
possible outcome. Many community organizations, including faith-
based organizations, can assist the department and help inmates
as they [transition into society].
3:27:45 PM
CHAIR HUGHES said this dovetails nicely into her concerns. She
related that at the governor's press conference yesterday
[January 23, 2019], the attorney general [designee] advised that
the overall crime rate between 2013-17 increased by 25 percent
but given that Senate Bill 91 passed in July 2016, the bulk of
that upward trend was unrelated to that bill. She understood
that some states have reduced recidivism by up to 40 percent
based on [prison programs]. The DOC's 2017 and 2018 recidivism
reports identified Alaska's recidivism rate at 67 percent and
look at what other states are doing. She asked if she was
committed to reduce the recidivism rate, especially noting
Senator Coghill has predicted many inmates will be released. She
suggested Ms. Dahlstrom review other states' programs and
innovative programs, such as the successful TLC program. She
reported the TLC program has a 28-percent recidivism rate, which
reduces to 14 percent those inmates who participate in a faith-
based recovery home. She suggested that the TLC program would be
an excellent program for HMCC women, recalling her own
experience as a contractor. She explained that inmates who
participated in this faith-based program were kept busy with
meetings, religious studies and other activities. She contrasted
that with the idleness of inmates not in the program. She
acknowledged the constitution limits what can be required but
emphasized her desire for more structure in the state's
correctional facilities. She asked Ms. Dahlstrom whether she was
committed to address recidivism. She said that undoing some
portions of Senate Bill 91 would not affect the recidivism trend
since it had been climbing prior to passage of the bill.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM responded that she was 100
percent committed to address recidivism. She expressed a
willingness to discuss productive ways to address recidivism.
3:31:47 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked for further clarification on whether the
administration was considering turning down a $1 million federal
re-entry grant.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM replied that she turned down the
grant since it was a one-year one-time grant of $1 million and
she did not believe the state could sustain the expenditures
going forward. She offered a willingness to review the grant if
facts changed. In response to whether there would be an
opportunity to reapply for the grant, Ms. Dahlstrom answered
that the federal grant she declined was a one-time federal
grant.
3:33:08 PM
SENATOR KIEHL recalled that Ms. Dahlstrom was serving in the
governor's office when the issue of safety for the [Alaska]
National Guard arose. He related his understanding that since
her appointment Ms. Dahlstrom decided to have troopers conduct
internal investigations rather than having the DOC conduct
internal reviews. He asked Ms. Dahlstrom how the DOC will keep
correctional officers and inmates safe.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she disbanded the
Professional Conduct Unit (PCU) to eliminate duplicate service.
The state does not have funding, nor did she think it was a wise
use of funds, since the AST is statutorily required to
investigate criminal activity. She added that the DOC has human
resources personnel able to handle any internal issue and refer
any criminal aspects to the AST.
3:35:24 PM
At-ease.
3:36:22 PM
CHAIR SHOWER, acknowledging contentious budget issues will
arise, asked whether she anticipated an increase to the DOC's
budget or if it is currently sufficient to accomplish DOC's
responsibilities.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she heard Governor
Dunleavy's intent to increase funds for public safety. Ms.
Dahlstrom indicated that she is tasked with evaluating DOC's
expenditures to determine if the spending is a wise use of state
funds.
CHAIR SHOWER asked Ms. Dahlstrom to expand on how to save money
with the caveat that increased funding will be necessary to
implement any additional programs.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she has been evaluating the
cost of adding new beds if [the governor's] bills introduced
yesterday were to pass since the legislation would increase [the
number of inmates]. She anticipated [the governor's bills] could
also increase mental health costs, so she has been evaluating
all programs to determine which ones can be consolidated or what
function could be performed by community or other organizations.
CHAIR SHOWER related that the DOC has a prisoner transport
function but the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been
providing many of these services. He asked if she has considered
the cost of prisoner transport.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM related that one option under
consideration is to use video conferencing for court
appearances, which could also increase public safety since it
would avoid having inmates on the street and save money for DPS.
She advised that she is still evaluating the whole picture.
CHAIR SHOWER said the Palmer Correctional [Center] (PCC) is
essentially in "dry storage," yet the DOC has the potential need
for additional beds. He asked whether she has been considering
reopening the PCC depending on what happens with the criminal
justice reform.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM answered yes, noting she has
asked for projected costs to bring the PCC out of mothball
status.
3:39:26 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked to comment on several issues. First, she
noted that she previously evaluated the DOC's internal
investigative unit and found that continual investigations were
occurring. This was duplicate effort between the DOC's human
resources and AST. She said she was glad to learn the PCU was
eliminated. Since she serves on the DOC Senate Finance
Subcommittee, she was glad to hear Senator Shower raise the
issue of the "million-mile club," noting AST provides prisoner
transport services for the DOC, which was expensive to provide.
She thanked Ms. Dahlstrom for evaluating the costs of doing so.
She has heard concerns about the costs of increased beds;
however, she noted many costs for DOC's correctional facilities
are fixed costs. She asked Ms. Dahlstrom to look for
efficiencies such as video conferencing and prisoner transports.
She asked for further clarification on any cost savings, noting
that not only are prison costs a factor but that tens of
millions of dollars of theft impact the private sector and those
costs should also be considered.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM said she was absolutely
committed to spending the public's money wisely, that she takes
spending seriously and wanted to assure members she would make
the wisest choices possible to keep the public safe.
3:42:07 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE recalled that the United States (U.S.) is
number one in the world for proportion of population
incarcerated and Alaska is number one in the U.S. He briefly
described the state's departments working in silos, which does
not seem realistic. He related the cycle of incarceration,
noting that DOC houses incarcerated inmates, DPS arrests them,
the Alaska Court System prosecutes them, and the Department of
Health and Social Services (DHSS) provides services for many
families of inmates. He asked Ms. Dahlstrom whether she saw the
potential for a collective and comprehensive prevention program
to keep people from entering the system. He remarked that he
would like to put DOC out of business one day, but it does not
seem very realistic right now.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM answered yes, that she was
pleased when the governor directed the DPS, DOC, and Department
of Law (DOL) to work together as a team. She said DHSS has also
been involved in discussions. She committed to collaborate with
other departments.
3:43:36 PM
CHAIR HUGHES said with passage of criminal law changes that the
prior administration was responsible for writing regulations and
submitting them to the legislature. Instead, guidelines were
compiled, and programs were begun, she said. She asked Ms.
Dahlstrom for a commitment for a timely regulatory process
including public process.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE DAHLSTROM committed to do so.
CHAIR HUGHES was unsure whether the governor's bills would pass
the legislature. She asked Ms. Dahlstrom to consider how to make
Alaska safer even if none of the crime bills passed. She
suggested that many things could be done at the correctional
facilities. She pointed out Alaska has had a pattern of inmates
leaving in worse shape than when they entered and committing
worse crimes when they were released. She offered her belief
that Ms. Dahlstrom has an opportunity to do things differently
that could make Alaska's communities safer.
3:45:21 PM
At ease.
3:46:07 PM
CHAIR HUGHES reconvened the meeting.
CHAIR HUGHES stated that public testimony would be taken at the
end of the confirmation hearings. She advised that in the event
the committee did not have time to take all the public
testimony, people could submit written testimony as part of the
record.
3:46:25 PM
AMANDA PRICE, Commissioner Designee, Department of Public Safety
(DPS), thanked her staff for their work. She stated her goal
today was to share her background and qualifications for serving
as commissioner of DPS. She has known Governor Dunleavy for some
time and is aligned with and supportive of his goals for the
department, she said. She was raised in Alaska, has lived in
Alaska for 40 years, has three children. Her husband, who is a
retired police officer, and children live in Anchorage. Twenty
years ago, she operated a non-profit organization, [Muscular
Dystrophy Association, Inc. - Alaska Chapter] with substantial
responsibility and authority which has shaped her life, work
ethic, and expectations for the work ethics of others. During
that time, she spent time in rural communities, operated medical
equipment, and never just wanted to receive a paycheck, but
wanted to serve and benefit of Alaska. She worked for several
non-profit organizations and those experiences gave her an
intensive knowledge of strategic planning, organizational
management and gave her fiscally conservative and fiscally
responsible views. She also had opportunities to work on policy
issues and engage with the legislature. She offered her belief
these experiences provided her with a well-rounded set of
management skills.
She reviewed her work experience, including serving as executive
director of Standing Together Against Rape (STAR). She felt that
working with law enforcement agencies and a multi-disciplinary
group gave her a broad view and sense of the services and gaps
in the system. She also served in Governor Walker's
administration for two years as a senior advisor on issues of
violent crime prevention and intervention, with a focus on
domestic violence and sexual assault. She reviewed cases in
which concerns were raised that forensic evidence had not been
moved to the [Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (CrimeLab)],
which led to an audit of sexual assault kits in possession of
law enforcement agencies. She characterized this as one gap but
noted that other challenges exist, and she hopes for
improvements. She listed her memberships, including serving on
the Council of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), the
National Criminal Justice Association and other service provider
agencies.
3:53:30 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said that crime is often discussed
as statistics, but the human cost and impact of rising crime on
Alaskans should not be overlooked. She has been touched by
violent crime, assault victims, and incarcerated family members.
She related a personal scenario to illustrate how people make
erroneous assumptions about others. She related that she has
forged relationships with retired law enforcement through her
work experiences that has helped her understand the elements of
public safety. She related her top priorities fall within the
statutory mission of DPS, which is to protect life and property
and the constitutional authority identifies the need to protect
the public. Any DPS functions that fall outside those
protections will be evaluated. She committed to work with all
departments to break down silos, noting she has already been
working with commissioner designee Dahlstrom, DHSS commissioner
designee Crum and attorney general designee [Clarkson].
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE identified one underutilized and
underperforming DPS division is the Division of Fire and Life
Safety, which is tasked with many functions, including statewide
jurisdiction for plan review and fire code enforcement. In 2017,
Alaska experienced a 167 percent increase in fire fatalities and
a significant increase in injuries to firefighters. She intends
to provide the division with adequate resources to conduct plan
reviews and provide training for firefighters statewide, she
said.
She said the Council of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
(CDVSA) was a primary funder of the agency that she previously
ran. She reviewed the CDVSA activities, including that it funds
24 emergency shelter programs, provides critical outreach
programs, and intervenes in and works to reduce crimes of sexual
assault. She commended the multi-disciplinary response team
approach the CDVSA uses to help ensure prosecution of cases. She
would like to see the same approach used throughout Alaska. She
highlighted the critical work the Division of Statewide Services
provides; it houses the Criminal Records and Identification
Bureau that oversees sex offender registration. The division
also oversees concealed carry firearms permitting, information
services, the fingerprint ID system, the Public Safety
Information Network, emergency dispatch centers, and 911
services. The CrimeLab provides all forensic services for law
enforcement agencies and expert testimony in criminal cases. The
Alaska Police Standards Council evaluates misconduct by
certified police officers in the state and makes determinations
on revoking their certifications.
4:00:02 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said she views herself as an
unconventional appointee since governors generally appoint
career law enforcement personnel. She acknowledged her
tremendous respect for the AST, but troopers are not trained at
the training academy to achieve management skills, including
budget, personnel, administrative, or legislative functions.
4:01:10 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said the role of the commissioner is
to provide policy and oversight management and work with the
legislature to ensure the governor's goals and initiatives are
met and to provide adequate resources for the department to
perform the DPS's critical mission. She highlighted the
collective experience her staff present at today's meeting has,
such that she has faith in them to run every law enforcement
mission necessary. She pointed out one responsibility to law
enforcement personnel is to provide training and retention. The
department plans to hold an upcoming academy to train troopers,
which will be the largest training academy since 2003. She
commended the recruitment unit. She noted that the department
has a retention work group, comprised of sworn and non-sworn
personnel, who will report to her on March 8, 2019 with
recommendations to address issues that were raised in the
employee engagement survey; however, the group will not make any
recommendations related to salary or benefits. She stated her
desire to improve morale and support law enforcement.
4:03:00 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Ms. Price for her testimony and asked
invited members to ask questions. In response to Senator
Reinbold, she indicated members could ask additional questions
after public testimony if time permits.
4:03:50 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE commended Ms. Price's testimony and said he did
not currently have any questions.
4:04:06 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI thanked Ms. Price for her thorough testimony.
He referred to an article in the [Mat-Su Valley] Frontiersman
that indicated she might be the only DPS commissioner without
law enforcement experience although her background [intersected
with law enforcement.] He asked how she intended to inspire the
"rank and file" law enforcement personnel who are more
accustomed to a more regimented style of leadership
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE responded that she contemplated this
issue prior to accepting the position because she wants her
presence to be supportive and not detrimental to the department.
She was grateful that she has not experienced any pushback thus
far, in part, because she asked law enforcement personnel and
staff what they needed, and she has worked to implement
suggestions. She lamented that the department has not had
support for training or funding for commanders to visit posts.
She immediately has mandated that commanders visit their posts
to better understand the issues the detachments' troopers face.
She has also implemented mandates for training and in-service
days, which she later learned are key to retaining law
enforcement. She did not think commissioners needed to have law
enforcement experience, but rather that troopers needed their
leaders to believe in them.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked for clarification on her resume on the
dates of her experience at the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) from March 2015 to March 2017.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE confirmed that the dates were
correct. In response to a further question on her experience,
Ms. Price agreed there was an error in the dates she served as
deputy campaign manager for Mike Dunleavy for Governor and when
she served as senior advisor to Governor Walker, which showed a
three-month overlap. Ms. Price recalled she began working for
the Dunleavy campaign in December 2017. She offered to update
her resume.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked why she left Governor Walker's office in
2017.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said that she had high hopes that
public safety would be a high priority for Governor Walker, and
she worked hard but found that what she was trying to accomplish
for Alaska was not being furthered. She said her hopes were
dashed and she felt it no longer suited her to serve in that
capacity.
4:08:32 PM
CHAIR SHOWER commented that his conversations with [Alaska State
Troopers (troopers)] raised his concern about morale within the
department. One common complaint was that as law enforcement
personnel they were not making an impact. They often were
arresting the same individual multiple times sometimes on the
same day. He suggested this might be due to recent changes in
the criminal laws and some of the responsibility falls on the
legislature to give law enforcement appropriate tools. He
thanked Ms. Price for her actions to improve morale. He further
asked Ms. Price to identify her top three challenges for the
department.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE highlighted that the single, biggest
challenge she faces is the lack of troopers and she
characterized the insufficient number of troopers as the "top
three challenges" she faces. She explained that it takes a
significant amount of time to recruit, train, and field train
troopers, noting the department is committed to not lower its
standards for troopers. She said that communities either do not
have enough troopers to feel safe or they have none. She
acknowledged that troopers want to perform their jobs, including
responding to all 911 calls. In fact, not having enough law
enforcement to respond to calls compounds the trauma that
troopers experience. She expressed concern about eroding public
trust when the public places emergency calls and those calls are
not answered.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE acknowledged she has held
conversations with local law enforcement and some legislators
about the need for additional troopers and to have consistent
recruitment, retention, and to reduce separations. She expressed
concern about the lack of a sustainable strategic plan, which
she said is an important aspect for transparency. She
highlighted that a strategic plan also informs the legislature
and the public where troopers will be assigned and the type of
public safety response the public can expect.
4:12:41 PM
SENATOR KIEHL said he appreciated Ms. Price's work on trooper
retention. He hoped she would broaden the retention issue to
include benefits for them. He stated he has held many
conversations with law enforcement personnel who expressed
concerns about benefits, noting they advised him that it does
not make economic sense for them to remain in Alaska. He said he
has also spoken with Ms. Price on the issue of staff longevity.
He was pleased to hear her mention local law enforcement but
expressed concern about previous administrations shifting costs
to local government with police powers, for training costs or
trooper deployment decisions. He asked for clarification on her
vision on the relationship and any overlap between local police
departments and troopers in Alaska.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said she could not provide a
comprehensive response now; it will require additional
conversations. She said she excluded defined benefits because
she wanted to address areas under her control, but she does
support defined benefits for troopers. She offered her belief
that the state does not have enough resources to provide
adequate public safety services to the public without
collaborating with local police. In terms of cost sharing, the
state has decided it cannot continue to absorb costs, for
example, police academy training costs. She offered her belief
that this is a policy call. She said her response will be to
reach out and collaborate with some of the more challenged
areas, such as Haines, to improve the public safety response and
find solutions that will work for the AST and wildlife troopers.
She questioned whether the ultimate solution for Haines would
work in other areas, such as the Mat-Su Borough since the
solution would not likely be a "one size fits all" solution.
4:15:47 PM
CHAIR HUGHES said she was glad to hear Ms. Price wants to
restore the public trust in terms of emergency responses. She
related her understanding that in the past few years some people
did not bother to call 911 for help because troopers did not
respond. She pointed out some members of the administration and
law enforcement in the audience.
4:16:50 PM
CHAIR HUGHES opened public testimony for the confirmation
hearing for commissioner designee Nancy Dahlstrom, Department of
Corrections and commissioner designee Amanda Price, Department
of Public Safety.
4:17:04 PM
At ease.
4:17:17 PM
CHAIR HUGHES reconvened the meeting.
4:17:42 PM
RALPH SAMUELS, representing self, testified in support of Ms.
Dahlstrom, stating he has known her for nearly two decades, and
they served together in the legislature for several years. He
found her to be very qualified, hardworking, and a critical
thinker who has public and private sector experience. He said he
also worked with Ms. Price during her time with former Governor
Walker's administration and her tenure with non-profit
organizations for victims. He offered his support for both
commissioner designees and offered his belief that Ms. Dahlstrom
and Ms. Price will perform well for Alaska.
4:18:55 PM
MARCIA DAVIS, representing self, said she served previously as
deputy chief-of-staff for former Governor Walker and in that
capacity worked with Ms. Price for two years. She found Ms.
Price to be very talented and qualified. Ms. Price would be her
first choice for commissioner if she were selecting one. She
spoke to Ms. Price's determination, her ability to identify and
work and implement goals and collaborate with others. She has
observed her write and obtain federal grants and give others
credit when the federal grants were awarded. She said Ms. Price
has proven herself with the rank and file.
4:21:13 PM
CHRIS THOMAS, representing self, related he had extensive
experience investigating sexual assaults, met Ms. Price when she
was executive director of STAR and considers her a friend. He
said Ms. Price is intelligent, industrious, committed,
understands the complexities of investigations, makes good
decisions and will always do the right thing. He said he has
been in law enforcement for 15 years and would willingly work
for her. He urged members to confirm Ms. Price.
4:22:21 PM
JAMES COCKRELL, Col. Retired, AST; representing self, said he is
a retired AST Colonel with approximately 30 years of service
with the DPS. He spoke in support of the confirmation of Ms.
Price. He said he worked on public safety issues with Ms. Price
when she was a senior policy advisor for former Governor Walker,
more specifically, on issues in rural Alaska. He said she worked
to garner a $1.2 million federal grant for sexual assault kits
or rape kits. Prior to her appointment, he often spoke with her
and is confident that she will provide the passion, direction,
and energy to perform the job. In closing he said Ms. Price
engages with law enforcement personnel in ways not previously
done and he would be proud to work for her.
4:24:23 PM
GERALD GODFREY, representing self, said that he served in the
cabinet alongside Ms. Price and found her to possess
considerable capabilities. He also served as chair of the
Violent Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) and characterized his
experience with Ms. Price as having considerable professional
overlap. He related other family members' service in the AST,
including that his brother and brother-in-law served as troopers
and his father was a career trooper, former AST director, and
former DPS commissioner. He offered his belief that he
understands the demands and skills needed to serve as
commissioner. He characterized Ms. Price as intelligent,
energetic, and capable. He said that public safety and law
enforcement was not the focus of the previous administration,
which saddened him, but he believes it will be the focus of the
current administration. He did not think that law enforcement
experience was essential to serve as the DPS commissioner and
commended Governor Dunleavy's choice of Ms. Price and the
governor's willingness to challenge conventional practice.
He further testified in support of Ms. Dahlstrom as commissioner
of the DOC, stating he has known her for more than 20 years and
finds her to be capable and committed. He worked closely with
Ms. Dahlstrom on crime issues while he served on the VCCB. In
closing, he said she was a strong appointee as commissioner.
4:27:28 PM
CAROLYN PORTER, representing self, stated that she worked with
Ms. Price on a campaign and found her to be dedicated,
intelligent, tireless, with an ability to work with diverse
people. She said she believes Ms. Price has the highest respect
for law enforcement and is dedicated to help restore public
safety in Alaska. In closing, she strongly urged the committee
to confirm Ms. Price.
4:28:38 PM
KRIS PITTS, representing self, stated her support for Ms. Price.
She said that the governor has characterized crime in Alaska as
out of control, citing the high incidence of rape and sexual
assault. She offered her belief that Ms. Price has a deep
personal commitment to serve the people of Alaska and she is
highly qualified to serve. She related a personal scenario to
emphasize her support for Ms. Price. She said given Ms. Price's
background and experience, she could think of no other candidate
who could lead the department in the role of commissioner.
4:31:52 PM
JEN WINKELMAN, Director, Probation Parole Pretrial, Department
of Corrections (DOC), said that she has worked for the DOC for
18 years. She spoke in support of Ms. Dahlstrom, stating she
admires her demonstrated strong leadership, grace, and
compassion in the short time she has served as commissioner
[designee], which are critical skills needed in the department.
She offered her belief that Ms. Dahlstrom cares about the staff
and for those in custody. She said staff morale has already
improved, that Ms. Dahlstrom collaborates with staff and
recognizes individual staff strengths. In closing, she asked
members to support Ms. Dahlstrom's confirmation.
4:34:15 PM
MARC ANTRIM, representing self, said he is currently employed as
a petroleum security contractor on the North Slope. He
previously served as commissioner of the DOC, during former
Governor Murkowski's administration, and worked with Ms.
Dahlstrom on criminal justice issues. He said she is fair,
tough, open minded, interested in staff, clients, public safety
and the public. He said that changes in one part of the criminal
justice system affect other parts of the system. He spoke to the
rigors and stress for those working in the criminal justice
system. He commended the team Ms. Dahlstrom has selected and her
policy changes as commissioner designee. He acknowledged the
monumental budgetary challenges Alaska currently faces. He
offered his belief that Ms. Dahlstrom has the experience,
leadership, skills, and commitment to make Alaska a better and
safer place. In closing, he urged members to move on her
confirmation.
4:38:49 PM
RANDY MCLELLAN, President, Alaska Correctional Officers
Association, (ACOA), briefly stated his personal and work
history, including that he moved to Alaska in 1995, lives in
Wasilla, has worked for the DOC for 22 years, and is currently
serving in his fifth term as president of the association. He
thanked Ms. Dahlstrom for recent policy changes she implemented,
including eliminating the day pass and amnesty programs and the
professional conduct unit. He expressed concern about department
morale, noting it was at "rock bottom" but said it has already
improved under Ms. Dahlstrom's strong leadership. In closing, he
advocated for her confirmation.
4:41:13 PM
DEREK JOHNSON, Staff Sergeant; Board Member, Region 8, Alaska
Correctional Officers Association, (ACOA), said he has worked at
the Lemon Creek Correctional Facility for nearly 10 years. He
agreed with Mr. McLellan's views on department morale and the
improvements under her, that correctional staff has great
confidence in the deputy commissioners Ms. Dahlstrom has
selected. In closing he offered his belief that Ms. Dahlstrom
will have a positive effect at the DOC.
4:42:35 PM
MIKE COONS, President, Greater Alaskan Chapter of Alaska
Association of Mature Citizens (AMAC), said he does not know
either commissioner designee, but after listening to the
testimony found that both commissioners think "outside of the
box." Although neither designee has worked within the fields of
their respective departments, they each can analyze the criminal
justice system and make sound decisions. He said the criminal
justice system is a broken system and he supported the
governor's emphasis on public safety, which will shift and put
criminals behind bars.
4:45:10 PM
CHAIR HUGHES, after first determining no one wished to testify,
closed public testimony on the confirmation hearing for
commissioner designee Dahlstrom, Department of Corrections (DOC)
and commissioner designee Price, Department of Public Safety
(DPS). She welcomed written testimony submitted to the
committee.
4:45:19 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD highlighted her legislative committee
membership, including that she currently serves on the Senate
Judiciary and Senate State Affairs Committees and as Chair,
Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. She emphasized the
importance of government's role in keeping the public safe and
her belief that the state is failing its mission to do so. This
could be attributed to any number of things including the
recession, [the opioid epidemic], or passage of [criminal
justice system bills] by the legislature, she said. She
described the increased crime in communities and how it has
adversely affected her community and Alaskans. She emphasized
her support for Ms. Price and commended her initiative, noting
that she did not support the previous DOC commissioner because
the appointee did not have a plan to combat the high incidence
of rapists not incarcerated.
SENATOR REINBOLD thanked Ms. Price for her work on [sexual
assault] kits and urged her to keep victims at the forefront,
use every dollar wisely, minimize overtime, and provide
oversight for the crime lab. She asked Ms. Price to be
unconventional in her leadership role, such as shifting [top-
heavy] administration or wildlife troopers when needed. She said
that in signing the committee report [today] it would represent
her commitment to both commissioner designees. She reiterated
the importance of public safety. She considered both appointees
as dynamic individuals and thanked them for stepping up to
serve.
4:49:59 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked to put on the record that the [academy]
training costs were passed on to municipalities at his request
because essentially the state was providing law enforcement
training for free since local government subsequently [hired]
troopers. At the same time, high-end retention studies showed
that compensation might need to be adjusted for troopers. He
stated that the legislature relies on data during its decision-
making processes. He emphasized his support for public safety,
law enforcement and corrections. He highlighted Alaska's crime
epidemic that adversely affects Alaskans, who do not feel safe,
and that increased crime creates additional risks for public
safety and correctional officers. He said the state needs to
stop working in "silos." During his conversations with [DPS]
management, past management, and troopers he has only heard
support for Ms. Price. He has heard support for Ms. Dahlstrom,
as well. He offered his support for the confirmation of both
commissioner designees. He offered his belief that the state
must look at issues very differently than it has in the past.
4:52:00 PM
CHAIR SHOWERS referred to the VPSO [Village Public Safety
Officer] program and stated that after holding discussions with
tribal leaders he senses that the state could probably do a
better job of using more local enforcement in local areas and
improve the program. He acknowledged that it is more difficult
to bring troopers from Palmer or Mat-Su into a [rural]
community, due to trust and other issues. He asked whether she
would review the VPSO program to make it more effective and
create a more engaging presence in the local communities to
complement but not compete with the AST.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE PRICE said she would be hard pressed to
find someone who would say the VPSO program was effective and
successful since it does not drive down crime or engage
communities, and costs over $14 million for 45 officers. She
said she will evaluate the program and will make changes, but
she was uncertain what changes would be made.
4:53:48 PM
CHAIR HUGHES gave the e-mail address for submitting written
testimony: senate.judiciary@akleg.gov.
4:54:08 PM
CHAIR HUGHES stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Judiciary Standing Committee and the Senate State Affairs
Standing Committee reviewed the following and recommends the
appointments be forwarded to a joint session for consideration:
Commissioner, Department of Corrections
Nancy Dahlstrom - Anchorage
Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
Amanda Price - Anchorage
This does not reflect an intent by any of the members to vote
for or against the confirmation of the individuals during any
further sessions.
CHAIR HUGHES stated the committee announcements.
4:55:20 PM
There being no further business to come before the committees,
Chair Hughes adjourned the joint meeting of the Senate Judiciary
Standing Committee and Senate State Affairs Committee at 4:55
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| JUD Commissioner Public Safety Price Resume.pdf |
SJUD 1/24/2019 3:00:00 PM SSTA 1/24/2019 3:00:00 PM |
COMM PRICE RESUME |
| JUD Commissioner DOC Dahlstrom Resume.pdf |
SJUD 1/24/2019 3:00:00 PM SSTA 1/24/2019 3:00:00 PM |
Comm Dahlstrom Resume |
| SSTA Agenda week of 1.24.19.pdf |
SSTA 1/24/2019 3:00:00 PM |
1.24.19 Agenda |