03/10/2020 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

         HB 307-EXPANDING PRISONER ACCESS TO COMPUTERS                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
3:27:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS   announced  that  the  next   order  of                                                               
business would be HOUSE BILL NO.  307, "An Act relating to living                                                               
conditions for prisoners."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:28:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REID HARRIS,  Staff, Representative Kreiss-Tomkins,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, paraphrased from the sponsor statement, which read:                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     HB 307  bill amends AS 33.30.015(a)  relating to living                                                                    
     conditions  for prisoners  by removing  the restriction                                                                    
     prohibiting a  prisoner from  possessing a  computer in                                                                    
     the  prisoner's   cell,  and  expanding   the  approved                                                                    
     purposes for  which a  prisoner may  use a  computer to                                                                    
     include    facilitation     of    rehabilitation    and                                                                    
     reintegration,  access  to legal  reference  materials,                                                                    
     visitation, or as part of a reentry plan.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:29:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JENNIFER  WINKELMAN, Acting  Deputy  Commissioner, Department  of                                                               
Corrections (DOC), relayed that the  department supports HB 307 -                                                               
the use  of computers by  inmates for reentry  and rehabilitative                                                               
purposes.  She  pointed out the zero-fiscal note  (FN) and stated                                                               
that under HB 307, the  prohibition on inmate access to computers                                                               
would be lifted; once the  restriction was lifted, the department                                                               
would consider the technologies and opportunities that exist.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:30:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  asked about department  oversight regarding                                                               
the inmate use of computers.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. WINKELMAN answered  that oversight would be  addressed in the                                                               
next phase.  She said that  the phase of lifting the restrictions                                                               
would  be  first;  examining  the   policies  for  oversight  and                                                               
determining the  details of implementation  would be in  a second                                                               
phase.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE offered  that "reintegration  into society"                                                               
is vague.   She maintained that the general  public would support                                                               
efforts to  assist inmates with education  and reintegration; and                                                               
she  acknowledged  the importance  of  accessing  services.   She                                                               
stated, however, that the phrase  "reintegration into society" is                                                               
too vague;  the parameters of  what an  inmate may access  is not                                                               
well  defined;  and an  inmate  could  legally demand  access  to                                                               
social media and video games.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WINKELMAN responded  that to  date,  the focus  has been  on                                                               
General   Education  Development   (GED)  testing,   [access  to]                                                               
Medicaid [a  government health care insurance  program], and "for                                                               
the  system to  be able  to create  some sort  of efficiency  for                                                               
other  departments."    She  stated  that  she  acknowledged  the                                                               
concerns and would welcome an amendment.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  commented that although the  language is                                                               
permissive, in  no way would  an inmate  have the legal  right to                                                               
demand access to video games.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. WINKELMAN  concurred, and reiterated that  the department has                                                               
not had discussions  on policies to address  the concerns brought                                                               
forward by Representative Vance.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:33:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY   commented  that  school   districts  have                                                               
information technology  (IT) security measures; they  dictate the                                                               
sites that  may or may not  be accessed; the schools  can monitor                                                               
what students are accessing.  She  offered that DOC IT could also                                                               
provide that security.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  THOMPSON  asked  whether DOC  would  provide  the                                                               
computers for computer access.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. WINKELMAN answered no.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   KREISS-TOMKINS   expressed  his   understanding   that                                                               
currently there is electronic device  access by inmates and asked                                                               
what devices they access and who provides the devices.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WINKELMAN  replied  that  currently  in  facility  education                                                               
departments with  computers, the computers are  older and without                                                               
internet  access.    In  certain   institutions,  an  inmate  can                                                               
purchase  a video  game machine;  however, any  of the  computers                                                               
provided  to  the inmates  are  "locked  down" in  the  education                                                               
department  and  overseen  by   correctional  officers  (COs)  or                                                               
education coordinators.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:36:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked for a  clear statement of the goal for                                                               
lifting the prohibition and exactly  what opportunities exist for                                                               
reintegration into society under HB 307.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:37:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KELLY HOWELL,  Special Assistant to the  Commissioner, Department                                                               
of  Corrections (DOC),  answered that  the department  considered                                                               
knowledge and  awareness of the use  of technology as one  of the                                                               
aspects facilitating  successful reintegration; once  inmates are                                                               
released,  they would  have  a familiarity  with  filling out  an                                                               
online application for employment or health benefits.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  summarized  that   the  intent  of  the                                                               
proposed legislation  is clear philosophically  and as  such, has                                                               
the  support  of  the committee;  however,  more  specificity  is                                                               
needed on implementation mechanically and programmatically.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE  asked whether  the  use  of computers  for                                                               
reentry would  occur within the education  department, or whether                                                               
there are other areas in the prison where that would occur.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. WINKELMAN  answered that often the  education department area                                                               
is  where   reentry  courses  are   held;  however,   many  times                                                               
volunteers  from community  and  the reentry  coalitions and  the                                                               
field  and  institutional  probation  officers  (POs)  work  with                                                               
inmates  to prepare  them for  release.   Not just  the education                                                               
coordinators or  teachers in the  facility help with  the reentry                                                               
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS stated that HB 307 would be held over.