Legislature(2025 - 2026)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/11/2025 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB64 | |
| SB62 | |
| SB71 | |
| SB19 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 62 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 71 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 62-BOARD OF PAROLE: MEMBERSHIP, REPORT
3:53:23 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE
FOR SENATE BILL NO. 62 "An Act relating to the board of parole;
and providing for an effective date."
3:53:54 PM
SENATOR LOKI TOBIN, District I, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 62 introduced the following
legislation and said not including medical or emergency care
Alaska spends about $73,730 annually to incarcerate one person,
which is four times the amount spent per student. In 2024,
Alaska ranked ninth in the nation for highest prison costs.
Since 2020, the Parole Board has held 75 percent fewer hearings
and released 79 percent fewer individuals, despite inmates
completing rehabilitation programs. A recent audit found no
clear explanation for the sharp drop in parole approvals. SB 62
would expand the Alaska Parole Board from five to seven members
to reduce workload, as the board oversees over a thousand
hearings each year. SB 62 adds seats for professionals with
backgrounds in drug and alcohol counseling, mental health, and
for an Alaska Native Tribal memberacknowledging that 80 percent
of inmates struggle with addiction and 40 percent are Alaska
Native. She said SB 62 also includes a seat for a crime victim,
a crime victims family member, or a victim rights advocate. SB
62 aims to improve parole decisions through broader expertise,
increase transparency with an annual report, and address
Alaska's high incarceration rate and prison costs.
3:59:53 PM
LOUIE FLORA, Staff, Senator Loki Tobin, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided the sectional analysis for
SB 62:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 62 Sponsor Substitute
Version N Sectional Analysis
Section 1 Amends AS. 33.16.020 (a) to expand the
Alaska Board of Parole from five to seven members. As
in current statute, these members are appointed by the
Governor and subject to legislative confirmation.
Section 2 Amends AS 33.16.020 (b) by applying term
limits of two five-year terms to members, replacing
current statute which states that members shall serve
staggered five-year terms, until their successors are
appointed.
Section 3 - Modifies AS 33.16.030 selection criteria
for board members. Section 3 creates specific seats on
the board, requiring one member to be a licensed
physician; one to be a victim of a crime, family
member of a victim, or a member of a crime victim's
advocacy group; one member to have experience in drug
or alcohol addiction recovery support; and one member
to be part of a federally recognized tribe in the
state.
Section 4 Amends AS 33.16.030 (c) by adding the
requirement that not more than three of the board
members may be current or former employees of a
correctional institution.
Section 5 Amends AS 33.16.030 by adding a
definitions section to include definitions for
designated seats on the Board of Parole. The
definition of "federally recognized tribe" at AS
23.20.520 is as follows: "a tribe that is recognized
by the United States Secretary of the Interior to
exist as an Indian tribe under 25 U.S.C. 5131
(Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994);
and includes any subdivision, subsidiary, or business
enterprise wholly owned by a federally recognized
tribe"
4:01:17 PM
MR. FLORA continued with the sectional analysis for SB 62:
Section 6 Adds a new section of statute at 33.16.280
to require an annual report on Board of Parole
operations and parole decisions.
Section 7 - Uncodified law specifying that a member of
the board who has previously served two or more terms
may finish their term but shall not be reappointed.
Section 8 Establishes an effective date of January
2026.
4:02:01 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced invited testimony and opened public
testimony on SB 62.
4:02:37 PM
KAREN CANN, representing self, Eagle River, Alaska, testified by
invitation for SB 62; as former deputy commissioner read the
following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Parole is a critical component to keep communities and
facilities safe in Alaska. Many incarcerated
individuals participate in programs, education and
counseling looking forward to being a better citizen,
friend, and family member when they are released on
parole.
Discretionary Parole allows incarcerated individuals
the opportunity to be released on supervision to
follow an approved reentry plan that will help support
them to be successful in their community.
Individuals who apply to be seen by the Parole Board
must see the Board as a fair, deliberate institution
rather than a group of people who deny their
application without explanation. I had conversations
with far too many incarcerated individuals in Alaska
who refused to apply for discretionary parole because
it was a "waste of time". They felt chastised during
the hearing, refused parole and not know when they
would eligible again; "who would put themselves
through that"?
The current Parole Board is comprised mostly of
retired correctional personnel, and none have a
background in behavioral or mental health, human
development, or similar fields of experience and
knowledge necessary to accurately assess a person's
risk to the community and approve a release plan that
has the components for success. This bill would add
these people to the Parole Board to help assess risk
and approve a parole plan best designed for success.
4:05:12 PM
MS. CANN continued with her testimony:
I worked with a young man who served 10 years of a 16-
year sentence. In that time, he addressed his
substance use issue, became an auto mechanic, lost
friends and family had a realistic reentry plan
supported by DOC staff but was denied parole without
being told what was missing in his plan.
According to 2023 data from the Parole Board's
webpage, 5 percent of people released on discretionary
parole had their parole revoked while 95 percent of
individuals on Mandatory Parole, or when an
incarcerated person is paroled at the end of their
sentence, had their parole revoked.
The longer an individual is incarcerated the greater
the financial burden on the people of Alaska. It costs
about $202 dollars per day to incarcerate an
individual NOT including medical care for chronic
diseases, specific geriatric care, end-of-life, or
emergency care. Paroling just one person saves Alaska
a minimum of over $73,000 a year. The paroled
individual then contributes to Alaska's economy in
purchases and taxes verses draining the economy at
$202 per day.
The Alaska Board of Parole has granted parole in only
27 percent of discretionary parole cases over the last
four years - far lower than historical trends. The low
rate of approvals has not improved public safety and
has contributed to overcrowding in facilities and
ballooning budget costs for the DOC diverting
resources away from things that make us safe and
vibrant, including healthcare and education.
Please make the Parole system fair and accountable,
keep communities and facilities safe and pass SB 62 to
make Alaska's criminal legal system more just.
4:08:00 PM
MEGAN EDGE, Prison Project Director, American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 62
and stated that in recent years, the board's parole grant rate
has dropped to just 27 percent, far below historical trends,
raising concerns about transparency and adherence to core
principles. SB 62 would address this by adding members with
relevant expertise, to improve evaluations. She said SB 62 would
require annual reports, increasing transparency and
accountability in decision-making. Arbitrary or unclear
decisions can undermine public safety by either releasing those
who pose a risk or keeping rehabilitated individuals
incarcerated. She stated that by supporting successful reentry,
SB 62 can reduce costs, support the economy, and help fulfill
Alaska's constitutional promise.
4:11:07 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI kept public testimony open on SB 62.
4:11:40 PM
SENATOR TOBIN stated that there were changes to SB 62 over the
summer in response to community concerns. She said it takes a
practical approach to improve transparency in unclear processes
and highlights the importance of rehabilitation and hope in
public safety. She stated that without a clear path forward,
people may disengage from systems meant to help them safely re-
enter society and contribute positively.
4:12:59 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked for details on how a quorum would be formed
with a seven-member committee, and whether it would be difficult
to maintain such a committee given that other boards report
struggling with vacancies.
4:13:26 PM
MR. FLORA responded that the current quorum requirement is three
members but will increase to four members with a seven-member
board.
4:13:44 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 62 in committee.