02/24/1993 01:30 PM Senate HES

  CHAIRMAN  RIEGER  called the  Senate Health,  Education, and                 
  Social Services Committee  (HESS) to order at  1:30 p.m. and                 
  announced SB 51 WORK  CAMPS FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS to  be up                 
  for consideration.                                                           
                                                                               
  SENATOR  RANDY PHILLIPS,  sponsor, said  a work  camp is  an                 
  alternative  for juveniles  in trouble, rather  than putting                 
  them   in   McClaughlin.     They  would   have  counseling,                 
  educational programs,  and work  details stressing the  work                 
  ethic.                                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 61                                                                    
                                                                               
  SHERRIE  GOLL,  Alaska  Women's Lobby,  said  last  year she                 
  testified basically in opposition to the bill because of its                 
  broadness and vagueness.   She didn't know how  "boot camps"                 
  would interface with what we  currently have for residential                 
  child  care.   She  asked if  children  would be  moved from                 
  residential child care  into a labor  situation.  She  asked                 
  where the funding would come from and which facilities would                 
  have to close in order to establish the new program.                         
                                                                               
  CAREN  ROBINSON, League  of  Women  Voters,  and  President,                 
  Southeast  Alaska  Guidance   Association  Program   (SAGA),                 
  commended the sponsor for looking  for alternatives, but she                 
  has concern with a  program that sounds like it  is military                 
  and work camp oriented.                                                      
                                                                               
                                                                               
  MS. ROBINSON was concerned with the $9,000 fiscal note.  She                 
  had a handout that explained SAGA which  has a comprehensive                 
  program  for  youths that  combines  the values,  goals, and                 
  objectives  of   academic  and  outdoor   education,  skills                 
  training, and work  experience.  The youths  involved in the                 
  program  have  to  be  either  in foster  care,  an  alcohol                 
  treatment   program,  a   youth   facility,  have   learning                 
  disabilities, or be  low income.   She said they received  a                 
  federal grant of  $745,000 and  now have a  lodge at  Amalga                 
  Harbor with 30 kids in the  program.  She was concerned what                 
  the model would be with only  $9,000, if we're talking about                 
  rehabilitation and education,  etc.   She said $9,000  could                 
  put another 10 kids into the SAGA program.                                   
                                                                               
  Number 177                                                                   
                                                                               
  RANDALL  HINES, Youth  Correction Specialist,  Department of                 
  Health and Social Services, was there to answer questions.                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR SALO  asked  him to  explain the  fiscal note  which                 
  seemed totally  unrealistic.  MR. HINES said  they view this                 
  as enabling  legislation that would  allow them to  go forth                 
  and develop a model program.                                                 
                                                                               
  SENATOR SALO  said it seemed the  title of the  bill did not                 
  correctly explain that.                                                      
                                                                               
  Number 212                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR PHILLIPS mentioned  that the Federal Control  Act of                 
  1990 authorizes $220 million for programs with "correctional                 
  options."                                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS asked  what the  educational component of  the                 
  program  would cost?  MR. HINES said that currently programs                 
  operated by  the Department  of Health  and Social  Services                 
  have an educational  component in them.   They would develop                 
  their  model  along   the  same  lines.     The  educational                 
  opportunities in  this program  would be  no different  than                 
  what they have now in existing facilities.                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS commented  that he  had toured  the school  at                 
  McLaughlin Youth Center and it was very inadequate, probably                 
  violated every fire code there was.                                          
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS also  asked how  this related to  Commissioner                 
  Rupp's Project Hope.   He wanted  to be realistic about  the                 
  costs.    MR. HINES  said  the  whole issue  of  funding the                 
  operation of  one of  these camps  is not  addressed in  the                 
  fiscal note, because they don't have a model for it yet.  He                 
  said these  were youth  facilities under  the Department  of                 
  Health   and  Social   Services,   not  the   Department  of                 
  Corrections.                                                                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  There is an amendment for Section 4 that would  allow a city                 
  or  non  profit  corporation  to  possibly run  a  detention                 
  facility and he wanted the intent clarified.  He recommended                 
  eliminating the juvenile detention facility language.                        
                                                                               
  Number 310                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN said he  liked the idea of privatization.   He                 
  didn't  think leaving  the language  in there  would  do any                 
  particular disservice.                                                       
                                                                               
  SENATOR  ELLIS was  bothered by the  broad authority  in the                 
  bill.  Before  he would commit money to  a program like that                 
  he  would have to  know the details  about it.   He said the                 
  Department has full authority to apply  for federal funds to                 
  expand the  youthful offender  programs and  asked why  they                 
  hadn't taken the initiative in those areas.                                  
                                                                               
  MR.  HINES said  there had  been a  number of  discretionary                 
  grant  programs  from  the Office  of  Juvenile  Justice and                 
  Delinquency Prevention for which they  have applied and been                 
  turned down.                                                                 
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS pointed out that they  didn't have a very good                 
  track  record  in  attracting  the  federal funds  they  are                 
  depending on for funding this initiative.                                    
                                                                               
  Number 357                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR RIEGER asked  if their commitment  to the work  camp                 
  would be  following orders  of the  court or  would HESS  be                 
  making those decisions.   MR. HINES explained  under current                 
  regulations,  once  a  child  has  been adjudicated  to  the                 
  custody  of  the  department,  it's   their  decision  which                 
  facility would be best for the  them.  Their primary concern                 
  is what's in  the best interests of  the child.  One  of the                 
  fiscal restraints they've had is in placing kids outside the                 
  state where the program is best for them.                                    
                                                                               
  Number 391                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR  PHILLIPS  asked the  committee to  look at  page 5,                 
  Section 7 for what a "work camp" means.                                      
                                                                               
  SENATOR SALO  questioned the  validity of  the fiscal  note.                 
  SENATOR PHILLIPS  said when the legislature  authorizes them                 
  to set  up the program, they  will tell them  how much money                 
  they can spend.                                                              
                                                                               
  SENATOR DUNCAN pointed out that point holds true only if the                 
  facility is operated  by the state.   If it's operated  by a                 
  city   or  nonprofit,  it  doesn't  have   to  come  to  the                 
  legislature for approval.                                                    
                                                                               
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS says it boggles him  that they are thinking of                 
  granting so much authority to a  department they have had so                 
  many problems with over the years in terms of regulations.                   
                                                                               
  Number 460                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR DUNCAN  said they should  look at  the model  before                 
  they authorize the  establishment of it.  Secondly,  if they                 
  are  having  experts from  "outside"  visit, they  should be                 
  available to talk before the committee.                                      
                                                                               
  SENATOR  RIEGER said  they would hold  the bill  for further                 
  expert testimony.