Legislature(2019 - 2020)ADAMS ROOM 519
02/06/2020 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Fy 21 Budget Overview: Department of Corrections | |
| Fy 21 Budget Overview: Department of Public Safety | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 205 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 206 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HOUSE BILL NO. 205
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; making
appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution
of the State of Alaska, from the constitutional budget
reserve fund; and providing for an effective date."
HOUSE BILL NO. 206
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
^FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
1:40:15 PM
NANCY DAHLSTROM, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
(via teleconference),provided a PowerPoint presentation
titled "Department of Corrections House Finance Overview,"
dated February 6, 2020 (copy on file). She began on slide 1
titled Mission:
The Alaska Department of Corrections enhances the
safety of our communities. We provide secure
confinement, reformative programs, and a process of
supervised community reintegration.
Commissioner Dahlstrom mentioned that slide 2 contained a
chart of the Department of Corrections (DOC)
organizational structure. She turned to slide 3 titled DOC
at a Glance:
Alaska is one of six states in the nation that
operates a unified correctional system (Alaska,
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and
Vermont).
A unified system is one in which there is an
integrated state-level prison and jail system.
Commissioner Dahlstrom corrected slide 3 and noted that
there were seven states in the nation operating a unified
correctional system. She indicated that West Virginia
adopted a unified system in 2018. She moved to slide 4
titled DOC at a Glance (continued)
DOC booked 33,813 offenders into its facilities in
2019
? 21,661 were unique offenders
? 1,601 were non-criminal Title 47 bookings
As of 1/24/2020, DOC was responsible for 10,986
Individuals
? 4,733 offenders in jail or prison
51% of the offender population is unsentenced
? 4,878 offenders on pretrial, probation or
parole
? 253 offenders in Community Residential Centers
(CRCs)
? 1,122 offenders on electronic monitoring (985
pretrial EM)
1:43:14 PM
APRIL WILKERSON, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR,
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET,
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, reviewed slide 5 titled HB 49
Projections and Actual Counts with Revised Projections.
The slide included a graph and chart of prison populations
from July 2019 through June 2020. She noted that the orange
line on the graph represented the projected population
under HB 49 [HB 49 - Crimes; Sentencing; Drugs; Theft;
Reports Chapter 4 FSSLA 19 - 07/08/2019]. The blue line
represented the actual population. She pointed out that the
lines intersected beginning in February 2020 and was
aligned with population projections.
Commissioner Dahlstrom asked Ms. Wilkerson to review slides
6 through 8.
Ms. Wilkerson reviewed slides 6 through 8. She addressed
slide 6 titled Prison Population by Legal Status. The
slide portrayed a graph of the sentenced and unsentenced
prison population. She delineated that the unsentenced
population was higher than the sentenced population. She
pointed to slide 7 titled Projected Prison Population by
Legal Status." The slide contained a graph of the sentenced
and unsentenced projected prison population from January
2020 through December 2020, which fluctuated between one
being higher than the other throughout the year. She
examined slide 8 titled DOC FY 2021 Operating Budget
Comparison:
Significant Changes FY2019 to FY2021
? House Bill 49, Crimes; Sentencing Drugs; Theft;
Reports
? Federal Grants: Second Chance, Equitable Sharing,
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment
? Medical Fees, Chronic Disease, Nursing Shortages and
Pharmaceuticals
? Nursing Study
Ms. Wilkerson reported that the bar graph and chart
demonstrated that the overall budget in FY 19 was $332
million compared to the FY 21 budget request of $404
million and reflected an overall increase of 21.6 percent
and a 20 percent increase in General Funds (GF). She
delineated that the overall increase from FY 20 was 7
percent or a difference of $25 million. She indicated that
the primary drivers of the budget were related to the
passage of HB 49.
1:46:18 PM
Representative Wool referenced the increase due to HB 49.
He asked about provisions in SB 54 [SB 54 - Crimes;
Sentencing; Probation; Parole - CHAPTER 1 4SSLA 17 -
11/26/2017] that allowed conditional release of a person
awaiting sentencing and returned individuals to jail if a
condition was violated. He asked if the population had
increased due to the bill. Ms. Wilkerson replied that it
was not only SB 54 that had increased the prison
population. She observed that several other bills
contributed to the trending increase in the prison
population. She related that when SB 91 Omnibus Crim Law &
Procedure; Corrections - CHAPTER 36 SLA 16 - 07/11/2016] had
passed there had been a decrease in the incarcerated
population. Subsequently, the trend had leveled and was
increasing. Representative Wool agreed that the number of
inmates had increased due to many factors, but he deduced
that SB 54 had changed the conditions of pretrial release
and resulted in higher pretrial custody. He asked whether
his assessment was fair.
JENNIFER WINKELMAN, ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS, replied in the affirmative.
Representative Josephson interjected that the legislature
repealed the 3, 5, and 10-day rule and reverted to a 30,
60, and 90-day timeframe for violating a pretrial
condition, which meant spending more time in custody. He
asked whether he was correct. Ms. Winkelman replied that
they had repealed the 3, 5, and 10-day law regarding
technical violations. However, the administrative sanctions
remained and even though violators were still serving time,
the trends were not as high as the 30, 60, and 90 day laws.
She would follow up with details.
1:49:11 PM
Co-Chair Johnston cited slide 6 and noted that the
unsentenced population increased relative to the sentenced
population. She wondered whether there was a difference in
costs between the two populations. Ms. Wilkerson responded
that the slide represented only the incarcerated population
and the costs between sentenced and unsentenced were not
separated because the populations co-mingled.
Commissioner Dahlstrom interjected that one of the
important factors between the two populations was the
importance of keeping unsentenced individuals on the road
system, closer to courts and attorney access. Additionally,
corrections officers observed that the populations acted
differently with the sentenced population eventually
acquiescing to incarceration.
1:51:07 PM
Representative Wool asked if there was a graph with a
historical perspective of the sentenced and unsentenced
populations. He was curious how the population had changed
over time. Ms. Wilkerson would follow up with the
information.
Representative Tilton cited the significant changes box
listed on slide 8 and asked if there was a place in the
presentation that associated the changes with costs. Ms.
Wilkerson answered that the information was included later
in the presentation.
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked if there was information comparing
the percentages of the state's unsentenced and sentenced
population to other states. Commissioner Dahlstrom replied
that she did not have a comparison.
Ms. Winkelman did not have the data. She would investigate
and follow up.
1:53:26 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked what made up the unsentenced
population figure. Ms. Winkelman responded that the
unsentenced population was comprised of people who had not
been convicted and were also considered pretrial.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard referenced the chart on
slide 8. She pointed to the Designated General Fund (DGF)
figure for the FY 20 management plan showing $35.2 million
that was decreased to $13.9 million in the FY 21 governors
request. She inquired about the reason for the difference.
Ms. Wilkerson replied that the difference was related to
fund source changes. She explained that the Power Cost
Equalization Fund (PCE) had been part of DGF that had been
moved into the UGF column. In addition, there was a change
from the Other fund source, which was a reduction from
the Restorative Justice Fund and the reduced amount was
replaced with GF from the Health and Rehabilitation
component.
1:55:07 PM
Ms. Wilkerson moved to slide 9 titled DOC FY2021 Fund
Source Breakdown by Fund Category:
The DOC budget reflects the Governor's commitment to
Public Safety by adding $24,976.3 (or 7%) to the total
operating budget.
Ms. Wilkerson noted that $25.6 million in the Other fund
category on the slides chart reflected items that were
duplicated in the budget. She reviewed slide 10 titled
Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget Request by Fund Source
that continued the breakdown of DOCs budget by depicting a
pie chart. She remarked that the departments budget was
the fifth largest of all agencies and had the third largest
UGF budget. She discussed Slide 11 titled Fiscal Year 2021
Operating Budget Request by Line Item:
The DOC budget is broken out as:
56% Personal Services
.6% Travel
36% Services
7% Commodities
.25% Capital Outlay
Ms. Wilkerson pointed out that DOC had a small maintenance
and renovation budget of about $1 million. She presented
slide 12 titled Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget Request
by Core Services:
The DOC budget is broken out as:
80% Secure Confinement
14% Supervised Release
6% Reformative Programs
Ms. Wilkerson indicated that secure confinement included
the medical budget. She added that supervised release
included individuals supervised within a community and the
reformative programs were offered in the institutions.
Ms. Wilkerson turned to slide 13 titled Priority Program
Comparison FY 2020 Management Plan to FY 2021 Governor's
Request. She reported that the chart included the
approximately $25 million or 7 percent budget increase.
1:57:00 PM
Commissioner Dahlstrom reviewed slide 14 titled Core
Service Secure Confinement:
Includes resources for:
Institution Director's Office, 12 In-State
Correctional Centers, Classification and
Furlough, Inmate Transportation, Point of Arrest,
Out-of-State Contractual, Regional Community
Jails, Physical Health Care, Administration and
Support, Correctional Academy, and Facilities
Capital Improvement Unit.
Commissioner Dahlstrom moved to slide 15 titled Secure
Confinement. The map depicted the locations of the state's
correctional facilities; 12 were state institutions and 15
were community and regional jails. She highlighted slide 16
titled Core Service Reformative Programs:
Includes resources for:
Health & Rehabilitation Director's Office,
Behavioral Health Care, Substance Abuse
Treatment, Sex Offender Management Programs,
Education Programs, Vocational Education
Programs, Domestic Violence Programs, Faith-Based
Services, Recidivism Reduction, Reentry Services
and Administration and Support
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked whether access to the different
programs varied by location within the state system.
Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that in the past they had
varied by location. Currently, the department attempted to
provide the core programs available in every facility.
She added that some of the programs like faith-based
services were provided by volunteers and were stronger
than other programs.
Commissioner Dahlstrom moved to slide 17 titled Core
Service Supervised Release:
Includes resources for:
Pretrial, Probation and Parole Director's Office,
Statewide Pretrial, Probation and Parole Regional
Offices, Community Residential Centers,
Electronic Monitoring, Administration and
Support, Correctional Academy, Parole Board
Commissioner Dahlstrom indicated that the Parole Board was
listed under the purview of DOC but was really under the
governor's office. She pointed to Slide 18 titled
Supervised Release that contained a map of the supervised
release locations. She detailed that 13 were Pretrial and
Probation Offices, 8 had Community Residential Centers
(CRC), and 6 locations provided electronic monitoring.
Representative Wool asked whether DOC had a graph of the
supervised release population over time. He wondered
whether the supervised release population had increased.
Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that it had increased. She
deferred to Ms. Winkelman to further answer the question.
Ms. Winkelman replied that she would follow up with a
historical graph. Representative Wool commented that
supervised release was trending higher nationally.
2:01:32 PM
Commissioner Dahlstrom asked Ms. Wilkerson to review slide
19 titled FY 2021 Significant Operating Budget Changes:
Changing Inmate Population - $18,072.1 (UGF)
Second Year Fiscal Note Assault; Sex Offenses;
Sent. Aggravator Ch11 SLA2019 (HB 14)
Second Year Fiscal Note Crimes; Sentencing;
Drugs; Theft; Reports Ch4 FSSLA2019 (HB 49)
($18,512.6) Reversal of First Year Fiscal Note
Funding
Structure change moving Community Residential
Center and Electronic Monitoring from individual
RDUs to the Population Management RDU
Ms. Wilkerson relayed that moving CRC and Electronic
Monitoring (EM) back to the Population Management Results
Delivery Unit (RDU) granted the department more flexibility
as the population flowed from intake and transitioned to
supervised release.
Representative Josephson looked at slide 19 and asked about
the Population Management RDU. He wondered what the total
appropriated was for the item in FY 20. Ms. Wilkerson would
follow up with the information.
2:03:19 PM
Commissioner Dahlstrom addressed slide 20 titled FY 2020
Significant Operating Budget Changes:
• Recruitment Efforts - $136.8 (UGF)
o Expand recruitment outreach, including
developing recruitment strategies, identify
target populations, developing and
maintaining a recruitment outreach website,
identifying markets for advertising, and
attendance at recruitment fairs statewide
and out of state.
• Secure and Safe Institutions - $668.9 (UGF)
o Adding a new drug dog to assist in combating
contraband at the facilities. The dogs are
used for module and cell searches; they
attend and screen visitor events and are
used for staff searches as needed. The
department currently has one drug dog, Koda,
who has been instrumental in reducing the
quantity of contraband in our facilities.
Finding contraband in the prisons or that
someone is attempting to bring into a prison
greatly increases the safety of inmates and
staff.
o Increasing non-certified staff to combat
contraband received through the mail by
photocopying incoming inmate mail and only
distributing the copied documents to the
inmates.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard discussed the problem of
the hidden drugs coming into prisons. She asked whether the
drug dog was deployed to address the issue and if the dog
could help identify exactly how the drugs were transferred
into the facility. She wondered what the success rate was.
Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that drug dogs could find
drugs that people were not able to find. She noted that she
would be foolish to believe that DOC was catching all drugs
with the dog and lacked statistics. She informed the
committee that DOC had requested body scanners to find
drugs hidden internally. She reported that inmates were
very creative about where and how they hid drugs.
2:07:08 PM
Co-Chair Johnston recalled a process for checking inmate
mail as part of drug enforcement. She wondered whether it
was still in place. Commissioner Dahlstrom pointed to the
bottom of slide 20 that cited the process. She expounded
that DOC requested $400 thousand for additional staff, that
were not officers, to copy mail and inmates would receive
photocopies of their mail. Inmates received their mail
within 24 hours of the institution receiving it and that
remained the goal. Often, drugs and contraband were not
visible to the naked eye. Co-Chair Johnston asked if the
method had been tried in other facilities. Commissioner
Dahlstrom replied that there had been a test done at the
Goose Creek Correctional Center (GCCC) and was proven
effective. She reported that according to commissioners in
other states, the method was very effective.
2:09:02 PM
Representative LeBon asked about computer access and email
for inmates. He wondered if it was limited or not
available. Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that the
administration was introducing a bill allowing computer
tablets for inmates to access education classes, and
treatment. The institutions did not have internet access
available to inmates due to safety concerns.
Representative Carpenter relayed that he had discussed the
idea of consolidating mail services with DOC during a
subcommittee hearing. He noted that dogs were only
effective for a few hours and needed frequent breaks.
Commissioner Dahlstrom agreed with Rep. Carpenters
statement regarding the dog. Depending on its training,
dogs worked 20 minutes at a time and took a break. She
spoke to the mail consolidation suggestion. She informed
the committee that since the subcommittee meeting, the
department had been looking into the different methods and
where it could be done.
2:11:49 PM
Representative Wool referenced the success of the mail
photocopying trial at GCCC. He asked how the programs
success was measured. Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that
success was measured in outcomes of random urinary
analysis. Representative Wool thought that email was a good
way to limit contraband. He asked whether other states had
employed a prison email system that prevented internet
access. Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that some email
programs did exist in other states, but she did not have
cost estimates. She agreed it would not be wise to allow
live internet access and was aware of the departments
responsibility to protect victims - DOC could not allow any
contact with victims from the institution. She reported
that the department was considering computer tablet use.
2:14:28 PM
Commissioner Dahlstrom highlighted slide 21 titled FY2021
Significant Operating Budget Changes:
Recidivism Reduction - $1,821.1
($1,075.0 Federal / $746.1 UGF)
Establish and bolster reentry efforts by creating
a new Reentry Unit component. Without some form
of human intervention or services there is
unlikely to be much effect on recidivism from
punishment alone.
The Reentry Unit will work to ensure offenders in
custody have available programs designed to
address their criminogenic needs and that they
are connected to supportive programming and
resources upon release.
Maintain and expand federal grant opportunities
for offender reentry support.
Ms. Wilkerson addressed slide 22 titled Division of
Institutions Secure Confinement:
Institution Director's Office
? Classification & Furlough
? Inmate Transportation & Point of Arrest
? 12 Correctional Centers
? Community Residential Centers
? 6 locations
? Regional and Community Jails
? 15 locations
? Electronic Monitoring
? 6 locations
? Out-of-State
Ms. Wilkerson delineated that the divisions budget was
$271.4 million with 1,378 budgeted positions. The division
was the largest and most costly division within DOC. The
divisions budget contained various funding sources that
included DGF received through mandate billings for housing
offenders on a local or municipal hold. In addition, $13
million was received via interagency receipts and federal
funding of just over $11.9 million. The federal money was
comprised of the funds received via mandate billings.
Representative Josephson asked about population management
and the appropriation in the range of $16 million to open
the Palmer Correctional Center. He surmised that the
department needed the $16 million and would not have enough
funding to cover other facilities if Palmer opened without
the additional funding. Ms. Wilkerson answered that there
was a $14.8 million increment requested in the Institution
Directors Office. In addition, the supplemental bill
included an extension request for the current $16.6 million
for the Palmer Correctional Center reopening. The $14.8
million afforded DOC the ability to house individuals until
the Palmer facility was open.
2:18:21 PM
Ms. Wilkerson turned to slide 23 titled Division of Health
and Rehabilitation Reformative Programs:
? Health & Rehabilitation Director's Office
? Physical Health Care
? Behavioral Health Care
? Substance Abuse
? Sex Offender Management
? Domestic Violence Program
? Reentry & Recidivism Unit
? Education/Vocational Programs
Ms. Wilkerson remarked that the division was the
departments second largest. She noted that the division
contained the Reentry & Recidivism Unit and included the
$700 thousand request for reentry.
Ms. Wilkerson reviewed slide 24 titled Division of
Pretrial Probation and Parole Supervised Release:
Pretrial, Probation & Parole Director
? Victim Notification
Statewide Probation and Parole
? 13 regional locations
? Probation Accountability w/ Certain Enforcement
? Pre-sentencing Unit
? Inter-state Compact
Pretrial Services
? Assessments
? Basic Supervision
? Enhanced Supervision
Ms. Wilkerson emphasized that the department successfully
incorporated the Division of Pretrial into the Division of
Probation and Parole under Jennifer Winkelman, Director,
Division of Pretrial, Probation and Parole. The
consolidation expanded the effectiveness of the division.
Ms. Wilkerson continued that the division had 234 staff
assigned statewide and the budget was comprised primarily
of GF. The divisions budget also contained a small portion
of federal funds utilized via the Equitable Sharing
Program.
Representative Wool asked how many of the 234 positions
were filled. Ms. Winkelman replied that approximately 40
positions were vacant and were exclusively probation
officers.
Commissioner Dahlstrom interjected that Pretrial was newly
created and candidates had not applied for the jobs because
they thought it would be eliminated. She predicted that the
jobs would be filled.
Representative Wool asked if Pretrial existed because of
provisions in SB 54 that created a supervised pretrial
population. Ms. Winkelman corrected that SB 91 had
established the Pretrial Enforcement Division and affirmed
that the provision created the supervised pretrial
population.
Co-Chair Johnston requested the number of vacancies broken
down by divisions. Commissioner Dahlstrom agreed to provide
the information.
Representative Josephson asked whether the supervised
pretrial unit survived the reform repeals in HB 49. Ms.
Winkelman replied in the affirmative.
2:22:13 PM
Ms. Wilkerson spoke to slide 25 titled Board of Parole
Supervised Release:
Parole Board
? Administrative
? Discretionary
? Mandatory
? Special Medical
? Geriatric
? Clemency Investigations
? The Parole Board consists of 5 Governor appointed
board members.
Ms. Wilkerson indicated that the board was a quasi-judicial
branch that operated autonomously and oversaw parole
releases. She moved to slide 26 titled Office of the
Commissioner:
Commissioner's Office
? Constituent Relations
? Ombudsman Liaison
? American Civil Liberties Union Liaison
? Compliance Standards
? Inmate ADA Grievances
Training Academy
? Basic Correctional Officer Training
? Basic Probation Officer Training
? Field Officer Training
? Prisoner Transportation Officer Training
? Firearm Training & Certification
? Taser Instruction & Certification
? Municipal Officer Academy
Ms. Wilkerson reported that the offices budget totaled
$2.6 million and had 18 budget positions with 8 of the
positions dedicated to the Training Academy. She turned to
slide 27 titled Division of Administrative Services:
Administrative Services
? Budget and Finance
? Inmate Banking/Auditing
? Human Resources
? Alaska Police Standard Council Certification
? Employee Background Investigations
? Procurement
? Ignition Interlock Certification
Information Technology & Data Management
? Alaska Corrections Offender Management System
Research and Records
? PFD Eligibility
? Research & Reporting
Facilities Capital Unit & OSHA Compliance
Ms. Wilkerson offered that the divisions budget totaled
$10.4 million GF and roughly $150 thousand in federal
authority with 52 budgeted positions.
2:23:53 PM
Commissioner Dahlstrom reviewed slide 28 titled Goals:
• Protect the Public
• Provide Safe and Secure Care and
• Custody
• Reduce the Prison Population
• Reduce Recidivism
• Ensure that Incarcerated Offenders
Spend Productive Time While in Custody
• Reentry and Community Supervision
• Work Collaboratively with Outside
• Stakeholders to Achieve These Goals
Commissioner Dahlstrom elaborated that the department
strove to incentivize inmate participation in programs
ensuring offenders used their incarcerated time
productively.
2:25:20 PM
Representative LeBon noted that the previous session the
committee had spent time discussing electronic monitoring.
He asked if there was an update on the concept.
Commissioner Dahlstrom answered that the numbers for EM
clients had increased. She deferred to Ms. Winkelman.
Ms. Winkelman replied that DOC offered EM for pretrial
individuals. Regarding EM for sentenced individuals, she
reminded the committee that DOC was moving CRCs and EM
under population management to allow greater flexibility in
managing the sentenced population and more easily move
individuals to EM or CRCs. The unsentenced population on EM
were run through the Pretrial Enforcement Division.
Commissioner Dahlstrom added that some inmates who were
eligible for EM or CRCs chose to remain in jail to avoid
participating in classes or productive activities. Some
individuals preferred to sit in jail and wait their time
out.
2:27:49 PM
Representative Carpenter asked if the prison population
would continue to increase or whether the population would
peak. Commissioner Dahlstrom believed that there would be
an increase in Alaska over the next several years and hoped
there would be a peak. She confirmed that Palmer would be
brought online - there was currently a feasibility study
underway that should be completed the following week. She
relayed that DOC was working with the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) and was issuing
an RSA of $400 thousand for design and inspections. She
offered that different dates were given for opening Palmer
in approximately 12 to 18 months. She committed to getting
the facility open as soon and as safely as possible.
2:30:09 PM
Representative Wool hoped the opening would happen faster.
He referenced the Coronavirus epidemic in China where a
1,000 bed hospital had been built in 10 days. He understood
it was not a fair comparison. He felt that the process
could be expedited and that the prison could open section
by section. He voiced that accommodations were made in the
past to handle overcrowding. He asked at what point were
institutions at standard capacity and not maximum capacity.
Commissioner Dahlstrom responded that the number was
different for different facilities and she was unable to
answer. She assured that measures were taken to accommodate
capacity. She elaborated that the system had done what it
could safely do to house inmates. She pledged to do all she
could to open the Palmer facility in an accelerated
manner. She commented that DOC was required to work with
DOT through the procurement process and believed DOT would
work effectively. She emphasized that she was open to
operating part of the Palmer facility if it was a feasible
option and was committed to the process.
2:33:12 PM
Representative Josephson looked at slide 4 and noted the
bullet point regarding 1,601 non-criminal Title 47
bookings. He asked whether they were following court orders
and asked for more information. Ms. Winkelman deferred the
answer to Laura Brooks.
LAURA BROOKS, DIVISION OPERATIONS MANAGER, DIVISION OF
HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS, responded that DOC operated under the letter
of the law. She expounded that statute allowed the
department to provide protection for an individual waiting
for a bed at the Alaska Psychiatric Institution (API)to be
held in a correctional facility. The 1,601 number also
included Title 47 alcohol holds of up to 12 hours. She
indicated that since API's reduction of patient beds, 150
individuals were temporarily held in correctional
facilities.
Commissioner Dahlstrom interjected that the institutional
officers did an exceptional job keeping the psychiatric
clients safe and the department was committed to
maintaining a safe environment for them.
2:36:13 PM
Representative Josephson asked for clarification regarding
the 150 number. Ms. Brooks restated that since API had
reduced its beds on October 6, 2018, the number of
individuals affected by the reduction and housed in DOC
facilities was roughly 150.
Representative Wool cited slide 4 and asked about the 1,122
offenders on EM [985 pretrial EM]. He deduced that out of
the entire sentenced population only 137 were on EM. Ms.
Winkelman responded in the affirmative. Representative Wool
repeated that out of thousands of sentenced offenders only
137 were on EM. He expected a higher number in the
sentenced population and deemed that the number seemed low.
Ms. Winkelman replied that he was not misinterpreting the
numbers. She communicated that placing EM under the
authority of population management would provide greater
opportunity to move some of the sentenced population
eligible for electronic monitoring onto EM or to the least
restrictive housing. The change eliminated the need for an
inmate to apply for EM.
2:39:19 PM
Representative Josephson recalled that EM eligibility had
been reduced under HB 49 by restraining the categories of
felons that were eligible. He asked for confirmation. Ms.
Winkelman was unable to respond due to uncertainty.
^FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
2:40:05 PM
AMANDA PRICE, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
listed staff available to answer questions. She provided a
PowerPoint presentation titled "Department of Public Safety
FY 2021 Operating Budget Overview," dated February 6, 2020
(copy on file). She began on slide 2 titled Department of
Public Safety:
Our Mission
To administer functions relative to the
protection of life and property.
Our Core Services
? Law enforcement patrol and investigations
Rural law enforcement services
? Domestic violence and sexual assault programs
? Statewide public safety programs
? Resource protection
? Highway safety
Commissioner Price reviewed the department's mission and
core services. She turned to slide 3 titled Statewide
Impact:
• DPS is Alaska's primary statewide law enforcement
Agency
• Direct support to other agencies
Investigative assistance
Search and rescue
Training
Alaska Public Safety Information Network
Crime lab
2:42:04 PM
TORREY JACOBSON, BUDGET ANALYST, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY, turned to slide 4 titled DPS FY 2021 Operating
Budget Comparison:
Significant Changes
Federal grants:
• High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA)
• Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
[The slide also contained a table and bar graph.]
Mr. Jacobson explained that between FY 19 and FY 21 the
departments budget increased by approximately $34 million.
The increase was primarily comprised of increased federal
fund authority for $5 million in HIDTA and $4 million for
the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
(CDVSA). He reported that most of the GF increase was
related to personnel for state troopers who received a
classification increase in FY 19 and a salary increase in
FY 20. He clarified that the change in Other funding was
mostly related to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board
(VCCB) that was moving to the Department of Public Safety
(DPS) from the Department of Administration (DOA). He noted
that the change in Designated General Funds (DGF) was due
to an approximately $300 thousand appropriation from the
Power Cost Equalization fund (PCE) included in a HB 49
fiscal note that was currently switched to Undesignated
General Funds (UGF). In addition, the department received
an estimated $2 million in Recidivism Reduction funds from
the marijuana tax. The department also received GF program
receipts from building plan reviews.
Mr. Jacobson moved to slide 5 titled DPS FY 2021 Fund
Source Breakdown by Fund Category. He commented that
funding from the Other category included items such as
background checks and handgun permits handled in the
Criminal Justice Information Systems Unit and the Alaska
Police Standards and Council surcharges on citations and
criminal convictions.
2:44:28 PM
Commissioner Price listed the department's FY 21 budget
broken down by percentages: 59 percent for personal
services, 3 for percent travel, 19 percent for services, 3
percent for commodities, 1 percent capital outlay, and 15
percent for grants and benefits. She elaborated that
between FY 18 and FY 19 the amount for overtime increased
by 26 percent and DOC was currently on track for an
increase of 9 percent due to staff shortages. Commissioner
Price addressed slide 6 titled FY 2021 Significant
Operating Budget Changes:
Improve Building Plan Review Turnaround Time
• Fire and Life Safety: $219.0 UGF / $217.1 DGF and
4 PFT positions
Meet Operational Needs
• Alaska State Troopers: $2,733.9 UGF
Increase Operational Capacity
• Alaska State Troopers: $7,599.1 UGF and 36 PFT
positions
Establish Emergency Communications Center
• Statewide Support: $872.8 UGF and 7 PFT positions
Commissioner Price shared that the administration wanted
the building plan review time reduced to two weeks from the
prior years time of 16 to 18 weeks, which currently took 6
to 8 weeks. She believed that with the additional staff the
two week timeline would be met. She offered that the $2.7
million for the Alaska State Troopers was also included in
the supplemental budget. The department would run out of
funding for FY 20 in mid-April if the $2.7 million UGF
appropriation was not approved. The same amount was added
as an increase in the FY 21 request because it would be the
third consecutive year the spend occurred and required a
supplemental; FY 19 was the first year the supplemental
occurred. She noted the departments desire to increase
trooper capacity and elucidated that the request for 36
full time civilian positions would alleviate troopers
partaking in administrative work and allow them to return
to the streets. She mentioned that the Emergency
Communications Center would be established in Anchorage.
2:47:43 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz cited the $872,800 for the Emergency
Communications Center. He inquired whether the spend would
be a recurring increment. Commissioner Price answered in
the affirmative and voiced that a savings would be realized
after FY 21. Vice-Chair Ortiz asked whether the 7 positions
were in addition to the existing positions in Ketchikan and
other parts of the state that were being moved to
Anchorage. Commissioner Price replied in the affirmative.
She informed the committee that the total number of
dispatch positions was 18 and DPS was only moving positions
from Ketchikan. She believed that the positions were moving
to provide "more impactful" service to rural communities.
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked for more information regarding the
Emergency Communications Center. He asked whether prior
years costs were $3.5 million. Commissioner Price answered
in the affirmative and explained that the former Walker
administration made a $3.5 million capital appropriation in
FY 19 that was comprehensively paying for the upfit of
the existing infrastructure in Anchorage; no additional
funding was necessary for infrastructure. The funding
request was for staffing only. Vice-Chair Ortiz asked how
much of the $3.5 million of funding had been spent.
Commissioner Price replied that she would follow up. Vice-
Chair Ortiz asked for an estimate. Commissioner Price
answered that the project was at 65 percent completion and
estimated that 50 percent of the cost was expended. Vice-
Chair Ortiz asked whether the initial plan included
centralizing operations in Anchorage and moving the 7
positions.
2:51:15 PM
Commissioner Price believed that DPS had not provided a
clear accounting that the plan involved closing the
dispatch facility. She qualified that it was a common
practice for departments to move resources in alignment
with its statewide mission. She emphasized that the closing
was specific to the state dispatch facility dispatching
state resources. She maintained that the City of Ketchikan
had its own municipal dispatch facility.
Representative LeBon asked about the DPS supplemental
budget request. He asked for a rough estimate of how much
was specifically for trooper overtime. Commissioner Price
answered that most of the request was for overtime.
Representative LeBon asked if the overtime number per
trooper would decline as the trooper positions were filled
or whether overtime was expected. Commissioner Price
answered that the amount of overtime the troopers were
expected to perform had a significant impact on
retention. She stressed that the situation was not normal;
overtime was expected but not 800 to 900 hours. She relayed
some statistical data from a Matanuska-Susitna Borough
(Mat-Su) detachment staffing assessment study done in 2017
that reported the troopers were woefully understaffed and
did not meet minimum staffing levels. The study concluded
that if the trooper detachment met minimum staffing levels
overtime costs would decrease approximately 30 percent.
2:54:03 PM
Representative Knopp cited the building plan review
improvements on slide 6 and inquired whether the state fire
marshal recently retired. Commissioner Price answered in
the affirmative and noted that Richard Boothby, Director,
Division of Fire and Life Safety was the current state fire
marshal replacing David Tyler who retired in December 2018.
Representative Knopp favored the improved turnaround time
for building plan reviews and mentioned that he had
received many calls regarding plan review delays impacting
the construction season. He asked whether the state
dispatchers in Mat-Su and Soldotna the were not being moved
to Anchorage. Commissioner Price replied that the state
dispatch in Mat-Su and Soldotna were contracted out and the
dispatchers were not state employees.
Representative Knopp recounted that moving the Ketchikan
dispatch was a point of contention the previous year. He
recalled conversations about rural communities not being
able to reach 911 and problems associated with rural
response and moving the Ketchikan office to Anchorage. He
wondered what the conclusion was. Commissioner Price
answered that the large multi-year project had a
significant scope of impact to our state. She related
that early in her tenure she did not believe the department
had adequately vetted the issue for potential options aside
from funding a new building while maintaining existing
infrastructure. She detailed that she paused the project
for a year and engaged in exhaustive conversations with
her contract services partners, Soldotna, and Mat-com
Dispatch. They could not find another mechanism to allow
the department to accomplish the goals of increasing and
providing emergency 911 phase two compliant services in the
state. She elaborated that in 20 percent of the state the
location of the 911 caller was unknown unless specified by
the caller. The current plan accomplished DOCs identified
goals. An emergency communications center met many of the
technical aspects and needs for emergency communications.
All the technical hurdles were vetted, and solid solutions
were in place. She was confident in the plan.
Representative Knopp continued with a question about the
Alaska Fire Standards Council. He announced that the
council lost funding and one position. He relayed that the
council was overwhelmed with work. He wondered what the
plan for the council was. He asked whether the position
would be reinstated if there was funding. Commissioner
Price responded that the council established professional
standards for the fire service personnel and curriculum
requirements for the certification of training programs.
She acknowledged that the council was very short staffed.
She noted the lack of a statutory mandate to provide the
service. She judged that providing necessary training for
fire service personnel throughout the state was the right
thing to do. However, budgetary constraints funneled tight
funding to meet the departments statutorily mandated
services. She hoped to recoup the funding, but it was not
included in the governors request. She detailed that the
improvements in the building plan review turnaround time
prompted significant changes to the divisions internal
structure including an online application and credit card
payment portal to speed up the process. She assumed that
the internal changes would enable the department to ask for
supplemental funding in FY 21 to stand up the fire safety
council. She believed that there were statutory gaps
defining the states obligation to the council.
3:00:13 PM
Representative Knopp asked if the council would be better
served under another department. Commissioner Price did not
believe the state should move the council to another
department. She believed there were some statutory gaps
that needed to be addressed to rectify the problem.
Vice-Chair Ortiz looked at the increment at the bottom of
slide 6 related to the Emergency Communications Center
consolidation. He wondered what study had been done to
determine that the consolidation of service and building
overhaul in Anchorage at the cost of $3.5 million was the
best course of action. He asked if DPS had considered
looking at other ideas such as revamping the Ketchikan
facility. Commissioner Price answered in the affirmative.
She indicated that a number of studies were completed
including a site assessment of the Ketchikan facility by
two nationally renowned experts in building emergency
communication centers in the Pacific Northwest. She relayed
that the facility did not have the built-in infrastructure
to adequately respond to the anticipated call volume.
3:02:43 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz thought that the Anchorage facility also
did not have the capability before the $3.5 million
renovation. Commissioner Price answered that it was
difficult to answer questions about how the project was
communicated and prepared for prior to her tenure with the
department. She voiced that she was sharing information she
had uncovered. Vice-Chair Ortiz recounted that she had
referred to a study undertaken in 2006. He assumed the
department had been looking into the issue for 14 years.
Commissioner Price replied that DPS consistently assesses
what was available to provide improved service as
technology advances. Vice-Chair Ortiz thought it seemed
strange that the first time he had heard about the idea of
consolidating services was in January 2020 after 14 years
of considering the issue. Commissioner Price did not
believe it was strange. She countered that the department
decided to meet the mission it was statutorily obligated to
provide to Alaskans with existing resources.
3:04:19 PM
Representative LeBon discussed that he had hoped there
would be a couple hundred thousand dollars for the Civil
Air Patrol in the budget. He noted that the DPS budget
increase from FY 19 to FY 21 was $20 million. He commented
that there had not been funding for the Civil Air Patrol in
the last two years. He asked for comment.
Commissioner Price responded that it was a challenging
topic. She offered that there were many items people hoped
could be funded that provided excellent services. She
delineated that two years ago the legislature added intent
language to the budget that eliminated the Civil Air
Patrols continued funding and appropriated a one-time
increment with direction to find alternative funding
sources. The governors FY 20 budget followed through and
eliminated the Civil Air Patrol appropriation. The Civil
Air Patrol was a pass through for DPS and it was not
mission critical for the department. She believed that
although it was a valuable and critical service the
department did not find a discernable impact with the
elimination of funding. Representative LeBon disagreed with
the later statement. He asserted that its mission was
critical to the department.
Co-Chair Johnston asked whether many of the Civil Air
Patrol planes left after the funding was eliminated.
Commissioner Price could not speak to the issue.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard asked how the Emergency
Communications Center would work with the Mat-Com system.
She relayed that the City of Wasilla was concerned
regarding the change. She wondered how the department was
working with emergency services as a centralized unit to
include Mat-Com. Commissioner Price replied that DPS had
initially engaged in significant discussions with Mat-Com
regarding amending its contract and providing for an
ownership opportunity. She offered that the City of Wasilla
declined to enter the arrangement. The current plan allowed
the department to improve the service to rural communities.
She communicated that other than the contractual impact to
Mat-Com they would continue to operate in the same manner.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard asked whether a 911 call in
Wasilla would go through Mat-Com or the center in
Anchorage. Commissioner Price deferred the question.
3:08:59 PM
CAPTAIN RICK ROBERTS, ALASKA STATE TROOPERS, DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY (via teleconference), responded that all
calls from a specific region were routed into the primary
911 dispatch center known as a public-safety answering
point (PSAP). He elaborated that the PSAP for Wasilla was
the City of Wasilla Communications Center and on the Kenai
Peninsula it was the Kenai Borough Dispatch Center. All
regional 911 calls funnel into the centers and were
dispersed to the appropriate municipal dispatch or the
emergency center in Anchorage for troopers. Representative
Sullivan-Leonard provided a scenario where a person in the
rural Mat-Su area called 911. She wondered if the call,
routed through the emergency center in Anchorage would be
competing with a call from another rural community.
Commissioner Price answered in the negative. There were two
dispatch centers: one in Fairbanks covering the northern
part of the state and the center in Anchorage covering the
southern half. The reason for the redundancy was in case of
a natural disaster to ensure coverage.
Representative Carpenter asked where the priority lay when
there was simultaneously a fire and police issue.
COLONEL BRYAN BARLOW, DIRECTOR, ALASKA STATE TROOPERS,
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, was unable to answer the
question. He reasoned that it was a question for dispatch.
Commissioner Price responded that the answer was situation
dependent and dispatch would determine the priority and act
accordingly.
3:12:46 PM
Representative Carpenter assumed that the incident had
already occurred by the time the regional center received
the call. He deduced that if the call went straight to a
local dispatcher, they would have the authority to direct
the call to the appropriate responder. Commissioner Price
deferred the question to Captain Roberts.
Captain Roberts answered that dispatch centers had priority
level policies that determined where the calls should be
routed. He indicated that there were both fire and police
dispatch centers. The type of calls Representative
Carpenter described were common. The dispatchers were
trained to work together to reduce the amount of time it
took to properly route the calls. He assured that
comprehensive policies were in place to ensure the system
worked optimally.
Representative Carpenter deduced that if the incident was
already occurring in Anchorage that was great, but his
district was in Kenai and the calls had to be initially
routed to Anchorage. Commissioner Price answered that she
would follow up with specifics. She added that the Soldotna
dispatch center would operate in the same manner and
dispatch calls to local areas. The only change to its
contract with the state was regarding calls that dispatched
troopers.
3:15:43 PM
Representative Knopp informed the committee that the Civil
Air Patrol still had many airplanes and had only gotten rid
of Beaver airplanes. He shared that he had been a member
for over 20 years and had acted as a flight instructor. He
relayed information about the planes. He explained that the
Civil Air Patrol had two primary purposes: to assist in
disaster relief and search and rescue. His squadron needed
$10 thousand per year to operate and found it difficult to
maintain with the budget slashed to zero. He emphasized
that the troopers typically did not have the resources to
engage in search efforts. He found it bothersome that the
item was not a priority for the department. The patrol was
important to many Alaskans. He could not imagine that DPS
would like statutory requirements for everything it did in
order to set priorities. He hoped the commissioner would
reconsider the issue. Commissioner Price submitted that it
was a sticky situation because the department was partners
with the Civil Air Patrol. She offered that one way the
department supported the patrol was to increase airport
hangar payments from 25 to 50 percent in the Fairbanks area
and provided snow removal. The department was trying to
figure out ways to support the patrol. The items included
in the budget had been deemed critically important to
preserve life and property. The department was not certain
it would receive its total budget request. She wished she
could be a strong advocate for the patrol and ask for
more funding, but with budget uncertainties and her other
duties to uphold, she could not.
3:19:05 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz returned to the topic of dispatch services
and recounted that the commissioners initial plan, Plan A,
was to continue contract services with Mat-Com. He asked
for confirmation. Commissioner Price replied that the plan
was more comprehensive and affirmed that continued
contract services with Mat-Com was part of Plan A. Vice-
Chair Ortiz asked whether the failure to secure Plan A with
Mat-Com played a role in the decision to move Ketchikan
dispatch. Commissioner Price would need to follow up. She
recalled that to expand services with Mat-Com and move
forward with the Anchorage facility, moving the positions
from Ketchikan was necessary. Vice-Chair Ortiz returned to
Representative Carpenter's question about the effectiveness
of dispatch. He pondered whether there would be an
opportunity cost without the current more localized system.
He believed that local dispatchers were familiar with the
specifics of streets and locations versus dispatch in
Anchorage and lacking knowledge of the area. Commissioner
Price believed that centralized emergency centers were
fully capable of covering all the dispatch needs because
the Fairbanks dispatch had been reliably serving Ketchikan
during the night. Vice-Chair Ortiz asked whether dispatch
services for Ketchikan would be in Fairbanks. Commissioner
Price answered in the negative and added that the service
would be provided from Anchorage. She reiterated that
history suggested that the Anchorage service would perform
effectively based on the night service Fairbanks had
provided for quite some time.
3:21:59 PM
Representative LeBon referenced increasing the trooper
operational capacity noted on slide 6. He asked the
commissioner to update the committee on rural versus urban
trooper assignments. Commissioner Price answered that DPSs
priority was to expand the trooper ranks within rural
communities. She furthered that the 15 extra trooper
positions she requested would be placed in: Ambler, Anchor
Point, Bethel, Dillingham, Emmonak, Glenallen, Kotzebue,
Nome, St Marys, St Michaels, and Unalakleet. Additional
civilian support staff positions would be in Juneau,
Kotzebue, Dillingham, and Kodiak, and a pilot position in
Nome. She indicated that the placement decisions were
difficult because the urban posts covered vast geographic
territory and were dramatically understaffed.
Representative LeBon asked if the Kenai and Fairbanks
boroughs were adequately staffed. Commissioner Price stated
that it was difficult to say that any location in Alaska
was adequately staffed.
Co-Chair Foster asked whether the position in Unalakleet
added a trooper to the one existing position. Commissioner
Price answered in the affirmative.
Co-Chair Johnston shared a situation in Anchorage where the
city wanted to expand police service to Girdwood and a
hybrid solution was found where the city paid for trooper
coverage. She elucidated that troopers were considered a
rural unit and sometimes it was just as appropriate for
the troopers to work in urban areas especially where there
was a tax base. She asked about the Alaska Land Mobile
Radio System (ALMR), which was moving from DOA to the
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). She
understood that DPS was one of the biggest users and
learned that ALMR need a much larger upgrade than was
budgeted for. She asked for details.
3:25:54 PM
Commissioner Price answered that there was an increment for
$24 million to replace repeaters throughout the state and
must be completed by July or the United States Department
of Defense would withdraw and build its own infrastructure.
She furthered that under the later scenario the cost would
have been immeasurable with significant impacts. She
remarked that additional funding was not requested because
the department was vetting two alternatives forms of
funding outside of the capital and operating budget.
Commissioner Price reviewed slide 7 titled FY 2021
Significant Operating Budget Changes:
Increase Federal Receipt Authority
• Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault:
$1,000.0 Fed
Increase Crime Lab Capacity
• Statewide Support/Laboratory Services: $744.2 and 4
PFT positions
Commissioner Price highlighted that the councils work was
often overlooked and she noted the councils director,
Diane Casto, Executive Director, Council on Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault(CDVSA) worked very hard to
secure the most federal dollars from state match dollars
than ever received in the history of the state.
Consequently, the council recently awarded funding for many
programs in numerous rural communities. The funding
provided for new programs like Child Advocacy Centers
offering comprehensive services for treating childhood
trauma and enhanced mental health services for survivors.
She indicated that the laboratory services included
processing sexual assault kits and would answer any
members questions regarding the kits.
3:28:48 PM
Co-Chair Foster thanked the department for its
presentation. He reviewed the schedule for the following
day.
HB 205 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 206 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| FY2021 DOC Overview H-FIN Committee 2-6-2020.pdf |
HFIN 2/6/2020 1:30:00 PM |
|
| DPS HFIN FY21 Dept Budget Overview Distributed 02.06.pdf |
HFIN 2/6/2020 1:30:00 PM |
|
| Clarification to be sent to House Finance .pdf |
HFIN 2/6/2020 1:30:00 PM |
DPS Response HFIN Overview |
| DOC Responses to HFIN 02.14.20.pdf |
HFIN 2/6/2020 1:30:00 PM |
DOC Response HFIN |