03/31/2004 08:05 AM Senate JUD

                   SB 340-DETENTION OF MINORS                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. PATRICIA WARE, Director of  the Division of Juvenile Justice,                                                               
Department  of  Health  and   Social  Services  (DHSS),  reminded                                                               
members  that she  presented the  bill to  the committee  several                                                               
weeks ago  and said she  would give  a brief overview  and answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. WARE told  members the bill makes changes  to the delinquency                                                               
statutes, the  alcohol statutes,  and the mental  health statutes                                                               
to align them  with the Federal Juvenile  Justice and Delinquency                                                               
Prevention  Acts,  so   that  the  state  will   not  be  placing                                                               
juveniles, who have  not committed crimes, in either  an adult or                                                               
juvenile correctional facility.   DHSS needs SB 340  to pass this                                                               
session to  retain federal  grant funds.  She emphasized  that SB
  will  not  impact  DHSS's   ability  to  hold  juveniles  in                                                               
facilities  in  rural Alaska  if  they  have  been accused  of  a                                                               
delinquent  offense.  SB  340 will  align  Alaska  statutes  with                                                               
federal  language  and  implement  best practice,  as  the  state                                                               
should not  be placing juveniles in  either juvenile correctional                                                               
facilities  or adult  jails when  they have  not been  accused of                                                               
committing a crime.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEEKINS  noted with no  participants, public  testimony was                                                               
closed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT  moved SB 340  from committee  with individual                                                               
recommendations and its zero fiscal note.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEEKINS  announced  that with  no  objection,  the  motion                                                               
carried.