Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
04/11/2019 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmations(s) Hearing|| Commissioner, Department of Public Safety | |
| HB10 | |
| HB118 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 110 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 82 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 33 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 51 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 118 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 118-OFFENDER REENTRY PLANNING BY CORRECTIONS
4:27:25 PM
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the final order of
business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 118, "An Act relating to the
duties of the commissioner of corrections; and relating to
planning for prisoner reentry."
[Before the committee was the committee substitute (CS) for HB
118, Version S, adopted on 4/4/19.]
4:27:39 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 4:28 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
4:30:15 PM
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 118,
Version S.
4:31:27 PM
KATIE BOTZ testified that she is tired of the criminals
returning to the communities and reoffending. She expressed her
belief that DOC needs to be tougher on the offenders. [Due to
poor sound quality, portions of the audio are indiscernible
throughout.]
4:34:22 PM
DON HABEGAR, Community Coordinator, Juneau Reentry Coalition,
stated that the coalition supports written case management plans
that begin in the institution and follow the offender into the
community. The plans are excellent roadmaps that help structure
reentry: they get the offender to treatments that are required
and needed; they help find suitable housing for the individual;
and they provide excellent collaboration with DOC, services, and
the community.
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS closed public testimony on HB 118,
Version S.
4:36:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether the changes under Version S
would be achievable for DOC to be able to implement soon.
4:36:39 PM
KELLY GOODE, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections,
answered that DOC worked with the sponsor to ensure that the
changes could be implemented. She stated that the changes are
achievable; the reporting guidelines under Version S can be
performed without fiscal impact.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked whether the reporting and other
requirements under Version S constitute a good use of DOC
resources.
MS. GOODE stated that under the original version of HB 118, the
reporting requirements would have been onerous to the
department; however, Version S amended them. She said that the
report will show how many active offender management plans
(OMPs) are in the system at one time, how many new OMPs began
during the year, and how many OMPs were updated. She maintained
that reporting the number of plans that are updated gives the
legislature a sense of regular work on the plans.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked whether every offender who is in an
institution for 90 days participates in a plan; that is, do 100
percent of the offenders participate in a plan, or are there
some who opt out or don't need a plan.
MS. GOODE responded that the plan does not apply to everyone;
only those ranking medium or high risk on the Level of Service
Inventory (LSI-R); they are the ones that DOC knows need OMPs.
In answer to Representative Wool's second question, Ms. Goode
said that DOC cannot force anyone to participate in a plan; DOC
can encourage, incentivize, and work with an inmate. There are
some inmates who are not interested in plans; but an inmate
still has a plan if the LSI-R rates the individual as needing
one; the inmate may or may not work the plan. She added that
the report would only include those incarcerated 90 days or
longer; the reason is that giving numbers on short-term inmates,
who most likely would not have worked on a plan, would skew the
numbers. This ensures plans are being written for the
appropriate inmates and gives the legislature the data it
desires.
4:41:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY referred to page 4, lines 14-24, of HB 118,
Version S, and asked whether the data in the report would
include the services that the inmates received and information
about which services were most helpful.
MS. GOODE responded that if they attempted to report on services
that inmates with OMPs received, the numbers would be skewed.
She gave an example: for an inmate with a master's degree,
there would be no reason for DOC to work with that inmate on the
education component of an OMP; the report would count that
inmate in the number that is not receiving education services,
yet, not be able to tell the reason why DOC is not providing
this service.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY said that she was interested in knowing
whether the services called for in the plans were received and
whether the OMPs made a difference.
MS. GOODE answered that all the services - substance abuse,
mental health care, education - are recorded in the OMPS, but
would not be in the report to the legislature under Version S.
4:44:39 PM
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked about the 99-year threshold on
page 3, lines 5-6, of HB 118, Version S.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS explained that the threshold reflects the fact
that some sentences are very long, yet the inmate still may be
released at some point; it makes sense that these individuals
participate in an OMP.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about Alaska's available services and
resources offered.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS responded that DOC sent him a list of services
by institution; they vary by staff and infrastructure. He will
provide her with that list.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked whether the reporting requirement
under Version S would be indefinite.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS replied that Version S would not create a new
reporting requirement; it would be modifying an existing
reporting requirement. He referred to the report in the
committee packet, entitled "Joint Annual Report on Recidivism
Reduction Fiscal Year 2018," to point out the existing report.
The new report would be linked to the existing report.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY stated that she supports the proposed
legislation.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS thanked the contributing agencies.
4:49:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL moved to report the CS for HB 118, Version
31-LS0724\S, Radford, 4/3/19, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHB 118(STA) was reported from the House State
Affairs Standing Committee.
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS spoke about confirmations that have been
referred to House State Affairs Standing Committee.