03/12/2001 01:34 PM Senate JUD

                                                                                                                                
                  SB 97-PROBATION AND PAROLE FEES                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. LORETTA  BROWN,  staff to Senator  Jerry Ward,  said the  fiscal                                                            
notes are now  available and an amendment is being  worked on but it                                                            
is not yet ready.  The  amendment provides a more cost effective way                                                            
to convert unpaid  fees to civil judgments and take  them out of the                                                            
court  system.   This amendment  would  drop fiscal  notes from  the                                                            
administration  and public defender's  office.  Ms. Brown  wanted to                                                            
point  out that, "DOC  does not  anticipate  revoking probation  and                                                            
parole  solely based  on nonpayment  of  fees."   The nonpayment  of                                                            
parole  fees has  been linked  to other  problems  with parole,  and                                                            
would  not make  more work  for the  court because  parole  hearings                                                            
would be held for other reasons.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 227                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked how many states have similar legislation.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. BROWN responded  that other states  do have similar legislation                                                             
but she did not know how many.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  said the last time  the committee discussed  SB 97,                                                            
he was disappointed  that the administration said  it could not work                                                            
with this type  of legislation - instead  of trying to find  ways to                                                            
make it work.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR  pointed out the sponsor  statement reports  that 48                                                            
states collect some type of correctional fee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BRUCE  RICHARDS,   Special  Assistant  in  the  Department   of                                                            
Corrections, testifying  via teleconference from Anchorage, said his                                                            
office did not have a copy of the amendment being discussed.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR said the  amendment had not been drafted yet, but it                                                            
would incorporate  the department  and make  it a civil judgment  to                                                            
remove  some  of  enforcement   difficulties.  The   people  in  the                                                            
probation agency  that currently collect restitution  would probably                                                            
handle the civil judgment.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY   moved  SB  97  from  committee  with   individual                                                            
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS objected,  and a roll call vote was taken.  The motion                                                            
carried with Senators Therriault,  Cowdery, and Taylor voting "yea,"                                                            
and Senator Ellis voting "nay."