Legislature(2003 - 2004)
01/23/2003 08:00 AM House STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
January 23, 2003
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Chair
Representative Jim Holm, Vice Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Ethan Berkowitz
Representative Max Gruenberg
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Mike Hawker
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
TAPES
03-01, SIDE(S) A & B
CHAIR BRUCE WEYHRAUCH convened the meeting of the House State
Affairs Standing Committee at 8:00 a.m. Representatives Holm,
Seaton, Dahlstrom, and Weyhrauch were present at the call to
order. Representatives Lynn, Berkowitz, and Gruenberg arrived
as the meeting was in progress.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION
COMMISSIONER MARC ANTRIM, Department of Corrections, listed
names of people involved with the department and offered job
descriptions. He detailed the operations of the Division of
Facilities. He spoke about the prison programs and about
predicting future needs based on past population trends, and he
indicated handouts regarding prison population statistics [which
are available in the committee packet]. He mentioned an effort
to control health care costs. He talked about the need to fill
positions and avoid worker burnout.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to questions from Chair
Weyhrauch, offered a tour of the Lemon Creek Correctional
facility to the legislators, outlined the basic details of a
compliance settlement, and talked about maintaining "best
practices."
JERRY BURNETT, Director, Division of Administrative Services,
Department of Corrections, estimated the amount of federal funds
in the budget. He mentioned an upcoming meeting to discuss
strategies to utilize federal monies for social and health care
programs. In response to a question by Chair Weyhrauch, he
discussed strategies for the care of prisoners who require
longer health care and the cost involved.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM responded to further questions by Chair
Weyhrauch, by stating that [the department] would be
aggressively pursuing federal grant monies, but a policy change
by the legislature to increase the efficiency of grant writing
was not necessary. In response to a question by Representative
Holm, he mentioned an enabling statute regarding billing.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to further questions from
Representative Holm, explained how chronic inebriates fit into
the department's caseload. He mentioned recent information from
the Department of Law and the flexibility to address [issues
regarding the Cleary settlement].
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to questions by Representative
Berkowitz, talked about addressing public and officer safety and
increasing the number of probation field officers. He mentioned
restorative justice and other programs in regard to the
department's commitment to them. He addressed Representative
Berkowitz's remark regarding then-candidate Governor Frank
Murkowski's indication of an opposition to private prisons, and
responded to a question regarding what [the department] would do
[about] employee contracts.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to questions by Chair
Weyhrauch, listed which unions work for the Department of
Corrections and noted names of people who most likely would be
involved as liaisons to [those unions]. He mentioned the
[Alaska] Close-Up program and the impressions made on kids from
hearing prisoners' stories. He explained the increase of inmate
population on the graph provided as being related to the general
increase in the State of Alaska's population.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM addressed further questions by
Representative Berkowitz regarding the percentage of Native
Alaskans incarcerated, correction officers as role models, and
wanting to see more Native Alaskans as role models. He said
that expanding regional facilities in community jails is
something that [the department] is considering as part of its
capital request.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, responding to a query by Representative
Seaton, explained that the funding at the department's Spring
Creek [Correctional Center] facility is tied to economy and
scale. He said that [the department] would certainly consider
using a model in the future that would require fewer staff. He
also clarified that [the statistics provided] include only
adults; youth offenders are not covered by [the Department of
Corrections].
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, following questioning by Representative
Lynn, talked about the quantity and quality of amenities
available to prisoners and the effect of some of those amenities
as a "control agent."
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, responding to a request by Representative
Dahlstrom, talked about the checks and balances in place
regarding phone use and highly restricted Internet access for
prisoners. He described a monitoring system for telephone use.
MR. BURNETT, answering a question by Representative Gruenberg
regarding a $4.4 million [personal services] shortfall, said
that vacancies are being kept at a level to offset that
shortfall.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to Representative Gruenberg's
comment regarding [the department's] difficulty in getting
contractors for the "ignition interlock program," stated his
belief that there are no contractors in the state at this time.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG mentioned past legislation of his and
stated his intent to work with the department in its efforts to
[obtain contractors].
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in response to a request for clarification
by Chair Weyhrauch, described in more detail the use of a
vehicle ignition interlock with a Breathalyzer - part of the
probation for "any alcohol offense."
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ requested the results of [the
department's] audit and its "five-percent and ten-percent cut
scenarios," when available.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HAWKER, Alaska State Legislature, invited to
the committee table by Chair Weyhrauch, commended the
commissioner for hiring Steve Smith to head the training
academy.
MR. BURNETT, in response to a request for clarification by
Representative Hawker, spoke about funding of medical costs for
Alaska Natives, the interrelationship of the Indian Health
Service (IHS) and the Public Health Service (PHS), and what
[costs] the State of Alaska bears.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG suggested the legislature might offer a
resolution [urging payment from IHS and PHS, for example, to the
State of Alaska for the benefit of those in the custody of the
Department of Corrections]. Regarding Missions and Measures, he
asked the department to consider the addition of qualitative
goals to the already existing financial ones and to provide a
written response.
COMMISSIONER ANTRIM, in reply to Chair Weyhrauch, clarified that
an item listed on the handout is an estimate of damages claimed
rather than an admission of liability by the department.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH thanked the witnesses.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements.
COMMITTEE ACTION
The committee took no action.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting [was adjourned - stated
as recessed] at 9:27 a.m.
NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were
taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by
contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3,
Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and
after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third
Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.
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