Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532
02/07/2023 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Department of Public Safety Overview | |
| Presentation(s): Department of Corrections Overview | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
February 7, 2023
3:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
Senator Scott Kawasaki, Chair
Senator Matt Claman, Vice Chair
Senator Jesse Bjorkman
Senator Bill Wielechowski
Senator Kelly Merrick
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS
Representative Laddie Shaw, Chair
Representative Stanley Wright, Vice Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Jamie Allard
Representative Jennie Armstrong
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
All members present
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS
Representative Craig Johnson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY OVERVIEW
- HEARD
PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OVERVIEW
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JAMES COCKREL, Commissioner
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered an overview of the Department of
Public Safety.
BRYAN BARLOW, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in the overview of the
Department of Public Safety
MARYBETH GAGNON, Criminal Justice Planner
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the overview of
the Department of Public Safety.
JENNIFER WINKELMAN, Commissioner-Designee
Department of Corrections (DOC)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered an overview of the Department of
Corrections.
ADAM RUTHERFORD, Acting Director
Division of Health and Rehabilitation Services
Department of Corrections (DOC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions and provided information
during the departmental overview.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:31:09 PM
CHAIR SCOTT KAWASAKI called the joint meeting of the Senate and
House State Affairs Standing Committees to order at 3:31 p.m.
Present at the call to order were Senators Claman Merrick
Bjorkman, Chair Kawasaki; and Representatives Carpenter, Allard,
Armstrong, Story, Wright, and Chair Shaw.
^PRESENTATION(S): Department of Public Safety overview
PRESENTATION(S): Department of Public Safety overview
3:32:51 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
overview.
3:33:09 PM
JAMES COCKREL, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety (DPS),
Anchorage, Alaska, stated that with support from the governor
and the legislature the department has seen positive steps in
its recruitment efforts. They have hired more troopers and put
51 troopers through the academy. The VPSO program has zero
vacancies and the retention rate is nearly 90 percent. The
funding for pay raises has made a difference. He mentioned the
benefit of additional equipment including updated tasers, 600
body cameras, new police radios, and upgraded duty firearms that
will save money over time. He noted the new policies and
procedures that are online for public comment. He restated that
the department's trajectory was positive.
3:38:06 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what the retention was for troopers.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL said there are 50 vacant trooper
positions, eight of which are wildlife troopers. It's still a
struggle but there was a net gain because of the last two
academies.
3:39:33 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL began the presentation on slide 2, Key
Objectives.
• Recruit and Retain
• Rural Alaska Law Enforcement and Safety
• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
• Village Public Safety Officer Program
• Fisheries and Wildlife Resource Protection
• Narcotics and Major Crime Investigations
3:39:46 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL advanced to slide 3, and spoke to the
Department Successes in 2022:
• Added two missing and/or murdered indigenous people
investigators.
He noted he intended to add more investigators going forward.
• Seized 13,425,000 potentially fatal doses of
illicit fentanyl
• Currently have 68 Village Public Safety Officers
• 15.2% decrease in Alaska's overall crime rate
• This reflects the lowest number of reported
offenses since 1975 and continues the downward
trend in Alaska crime that started in 2018
• Continuing to hire State Troopers; 51 new Troopers
started training in 2022
• Expansion of the wellness program
• Body worn camera pilot project scheduled for Spring
2023
• draft policy posted for public feedback
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW asked if the long-term non-permanent
investigators were civilians.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied they're retired Alaska State
Troopers. They receive a salary but no benefits.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL discussed the organizational chart on
slide 4. There are four divisions. The deputy commissioner has
oversight of the Division of Fire and Life Safety, the Division
of Statewide Services, and the Public Safety Training Academy.
Four boards and commissions are housed within the department and
the commissioner oversees the rest of the department.
3:43:21 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if the additional investigators he
mentioned were in the budget request this year.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL answered no; the department typically does
not budget for long-term non-permanent positions. Funding for
these positions generally comes from either vacancies or
overtime.
3:44:04 PM
BRYAN BARLOW, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
(DPS), Anchorage, Alaska, displayed slide 5 and explained that
the map on the right depicts the Alaska State Troopers' areas of
responsibility. The color coded areas reflect the eight
detachments. He spoke to the following:
Division of Alaska State Troopers
• Alaska Bureau of Investigation
• Major Crimes Investigations
• Technical/Financial Crime Investigations
• Statewide Drug and Alcohol Enforcement
• Four Detachments
• Statewide Support
• Search and Rescue Coordination
• Advanced Training Unit
• Recruitment Unit
• Prisoner Transport
• Dispatch
3:45:38 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW reviewed the Division of Alaska State
Troopers accomplishments and challenges on slide 6.
Accomplishments
- Seized 215 percent more methamphetamine, 440 percent more
fentanyl, and 334 percent more heroin from 2021.
- Solved 85 percent of homicides within trooper jurisdiction.
- Expanded the two on/two-off posts in rural Alaska.
- Online reporting program once implemented will reduce
workloads for Troopers on the road.
Challenges
- Recruitment and Retention problems are the same as is seen in
law enforcement nationwide.
- Technological changes in how crimes are committed.
- Importation of drugs and alcohol into rural Alaska.
- Rural housing for Troopers.
3:49:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG asked how many troopers are on the two-
on/two-off schedule and the number who live out-of-state when
they're not working.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW said he would follow up with
information about the numbers of those positions. All but one
currently reside in Alaska and the practice moving forward was
that all Alaska State Troopers live and work within the state.
3:50:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked how much was in the current budget
for rural housing for troopers.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW said he'd follow up with the exact
numbers. The department has about 60 units throughout the state
that it leases or owns for trooper and other staff housing.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL added that the department received $3
million in federal funds last year to use for rural housing. The
department is obliged to send troopers to the rural areas of the
state and they have to have decent housing, office space, and
connectivity.
3:52:39 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW advanced to slide 7 and explained
that the Division of Alaska Wildlife Troopers has a northern and
a southern detachment that focus on the protection of wildlife
resources, both sport and commercial. He discussed the
division's accomplishments and challenges.
Accomplishments
• Collaboration with State and federal agencies,
search and rescue groups, and public resource users
• Boating safety education and enforcement to reduce
boating fatalities
• Identification of commercial resource crime and
successful prosecution
Challenges
• 6,640 miles of coastline, significant hunts and
fisheries
• Complicated regulatory structure and limited
resources; 891,000 licenses sold and 90 troopers
3:53:27 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL turned to slide 8. The chart shows zero
vacancies in the VPSO job class; 50 vacancies in the trooper job
class; and there are 410 total budgeted trooper positions, 360
of which are filled.
Department Vacancies: Troopers and Village Public Safety
Officers
Total as Of 12/31/2022
• Budgeted: Total number of permanent, full-time positions
budgeted in the current fiscal year.
• Actual: Total number of filled positions at the time of
this report
•
• Vacant: Total number of vacant positions at the time of
this report
• Positions
• Troopers include the rank of Recruit through Major and
include State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers
• Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs)
SENATOR CLAMAN asked if the department was seeing the same trend
as the Anchorage police and fire, prosecutors, and public
defenders that there are senior staff, but most people stay for
about five years and then leave.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL said troopers did leave after about five
years before they received a pay raise, but the more competitive
salaries had stemmed that somewhat. He noted that most senior
staff were eligible for retirement.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked when the pay increase passed.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied it was 2019.
3:55:49 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW displayed slide 9 and reviewed the
Aircraft and Marine Sections.
Aircraft Section
• Law enforcement response/investigation
• Search and rescue
• Wildlife resource protection
• Prisoner transport
• Major fleet refreshment underway
• 44 fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft
• 19 aircraft bed-down bases
• 5,667 hours flown in 2022 (calendar year)
Marine Section
• Marine fisheries enforcement
• Search and rescue
• Fleet management
• Two 35' vessels and two patrol skiffs being built to
replace older vessels
• P/V Stimson, Kodiak (156' deployable statewide)
• P/V Enforcer, Juneau (84' being decommissioned)
• P/V Cama'i, Kodiak (69' catamaran)
• 12 medium-sized vessels (27' to 35') in 12 different
communities
• Multiple other small skiffs and river boats
3:57:00 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL stated that, as currently structured, the
Village Public Safety Officer Program was running as smoothly as
he'd ever seen. The department's budget request includes funding
for a full-time director.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW advanced to slide 11, and reviewed
the Division of Fire and Life Safety.
Mission: to prevent the loss of life and property from
fire and explosion. Fire safety is improved through
three means:
• Enforcement
• Engineering
• Education
Accomplishments
• 664 building fire and life safety inspections
• 776 fire and building plan reviews completed
• 45 significant fire investigated
• New web-based application to process permits deployed on
Nov 17, 2022; 170 applications processed in 2-4 weeks
Challenges
• Rural fire department capacity
• Communication methods to reach high-risk groups and areas
regarding personal responsibility to decrease loss
3:58:55 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW turned to slide 12 and reviewed the
Division of Statewide Services.
Alaska Public Safety Communication Services
• Supported 12,409,758 Alaska Land Mobile Radio System
(ALMR) calls and 20,436,826 push to talks
• Completed update of site repeaters in all State owned
sites; 72 site repeater locations
Information Systems
• Linked over 30 years of historical case files to the
current Records Management System
• Deployed a new Online Police Reporting program
Criminal Justice Information Systems Program
• Secured multiple federal grants to support Criminal
Justice Information Services (CJIS) modernization efforts
• National Incident Based Reporting System repository
purchased with federal grant funds, 30 law enforcement
agencies participating
Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Lab
• 9,146 DNA database samples from arrestees and convicted
offenders
• 2,491 sexual assault kit testing completed; backlog
reduced by 57 percent per AS 44.41.065
4:00:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked if he was happy with the Alaska Land
Mobile Radio System (ALMR) move to DPS.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW answered it's a good fit. DPS is a
major user of the ALMR system and it is integrating well into
the department.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW advanced to slide 13, Alaska
Scientific Crime Detection Lab. On the left is a line graph of
the annual DNA submissions and backlog from FY2012-FY2023. On
the right, the following information is provided:
similar The governor's FY2023 budget added five DNA
scientist/forensic technician positions.
similar Days for the lab to process casework in FY2022 and YTD
FY2023:
- DNA Sex assault casework dropped from 70 in FY 22
to 55 YTD FY23.
- All DNA casework dropped from 120 in FY22 to 55
YTD FY23.
- Forensic alcohol casework increased from 19 in
FY22 to 25 YTD FY23.
- Seized drugs casework increased from 23 in FY22
to 49 YTD FY23.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked for the current backlog on testing sex
assault kits.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW said he'd follow up with the exact
number.
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked him to send the information to the chairs'
offices and they'd distribute it to the members.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW said there's been a dramatic decrease
in the backlog.
4:02:22 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL said that to his knowledge there was zero
backlog of sex assault kits due to the SAKI grant program.
Current sex cases are processed in about 55 days. An app is
close to going live so a sex assault victim can track their case
through the entire process. Substantial gains have been made on
the handling of sex assault kits. A sex assault kit from
Fairbanks, Bethel, Nome, and Kotzebue must be in the crime lab
within 30 days, and once it arrives the kit doesn't leave the
lab.
SENATOR CLAMAN recalled that the legislation that passed last
year placed a timeline on testing new kits within 90 days.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied the results must be done within 90
days; currently, the average turnaround is 55 days.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked for confirmation that testing was in
compliance with the law.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL answered yes, thanks in large part to the
legislature for funding the positions needed to make that
happen.
4:04:14 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL advanced to slide 14, Uniform Crime
Reporting. It provides bulleted information and bar charts that
reflect data from the 2021 Crime in Alaska publications and the
2021 Felony Sex Offense publication.
He said the number of sex assaults reported to law enforcement
throughout Alaska is still climbing. In 2022, approximately
1,500 felony-level sex assaults were reported in the state. The
caveat is that about 50 percent of these crimes are not
reported. Of the 1,500 reports, 338 were in Western Alaska and
304 of the victims were Alaska Native women. Statewide, Alaska
Native women are victims of sex assault at a higher rate than
any other race in the state, and they are a smaller percentage
of the population than other races.
4:05:29 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL advanced to slide 15, Council on Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). He described these staff
members as probably the most dedicated of any in the department.
He spoke to the following:
Mission: Promotes the prevention of domestic violence
and sexual assault and provides safety for Alaskans
victimized or impacted by domestic violence and sexual
assault through a statewide system of crisis
intervention and support, and by supporting
perpetrator accountability and rehabilitation.
• Eleven-member Board of Directors
• Eleven full-time staff
• Fund 34 community-based agencies serving Utqiagvik to
Unalaska
• Manage and monitor a total of 90 grant awards
• Created 4-year Violence Against Women Act/Services,
Training, Officers, and Prosecutors State
Implementation Plan to prioritize training and service
needs to better prevent and respond to interpersonal
violence
• Began implementing a Language Access Plan
He highlighted that consistent funding is the biggest hurtle
CDVSA faces. They rely heavily on federal funds.
4:06:55 PM
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL advanced to slide 16, Violent Crimes
Compensation Board, whose mission is to alleviate some of the
financial burden victims face following a violent crime. This
board was moved last year from the Department of Administration
(DOA) to DPS. When the board was formed in 1973 it had three
staff to process 15 applications for compensation. The board
still has three staff, but the number of applications has risen
to more than 1,000. The department has requested two additional
staff in the governor's budget to expedite processing of these
claims. He said his only concern is about the source of the
funding for these additional positions. It is coming from the
board's existing funding from prisoners who have to donate their
permanent fund to the state. This reduces the amount of funding
for victims of violent crime.
4:08:03 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW advanced to slide 17, Alaska Police
Standards Council, and spoke to the following:
Mission: To produce and maintain a highly trained and
positively motivated professional, capable of meeting
contemporary law enforcement standards of performance.
Values:
A - Accountability
P - Professionalism
S - Service
C - Character
CHAIR KAWASAKI listed the individuals who were available to
answer questions.
4:09:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG asked if he could share the budget for
the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the
funding the department was seeking.
4:09:38 PM
MARYBETH GAGNON, Criminal Justice Planner, Council on Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault, Department of Public Safety (DPS),
Juneau, Alaska, answered questions during the overview of the
Department of Public Safety seeking approximately $3 million to
assist in compensating victims in the shelter program,
rehabilitation and other programing.
4:10:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked if the seven positions that the
legislature funded last year to address domestic violence and
sex assault, and missing and murdered indigenous persons (MMIP)
investigations had been filled and how that work was going. She
called the data the commissioner shared alarming.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL clarified that the new investigators he
mentioned were not attached to the governor's MMIP initiative.
One of the two tribal liaisons had been filled and was embedded
in the VPSO program and recruiting was ongoing for the second.
Recruitment was ongoing for the four victim witness
coordinators; the supervisor position had been filled.
4:13:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY referenced the more than 12 million Alaska
Land Mobile Radio System (ALMR) and push to talk calls that the
Alaska Public Safety Communication Services supported. She asked
if there was any way to break the calls down by region to
pinpoint particular needs.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL clarified that these are radio
communications between dispatchers or troopers to a dispatcher.
He offered to follow up and potentially provide more granular
detail.
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked if there was any concern associated
with transitioning service weapons from 40 caliber to 9 MM since
the latter has greater potential to penetrate more than
intended.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied the stopping power was similar for
both types of ammunition but the 9MM was much less expensive.
Other factors were also involved in the decision to upgrade the
firearm system. He suggested that further discussion could be
done offline.
4:15:01 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what the plan was this year to increase
services in rural Alaska that might make a difference in the
rates of sex assault and domestic violence.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied that addressing sex assault and
domestic violence crimes in rural areas is a priority and will
continue to be so as long as he's commissioner. These areas have
been undeserved for too long. However, adding more police isn't
necessarily the answer to address interpersonal crimes. Also,
DPS doesn't have the capacity to place more troopers in rural
areas at this time. Perpetrators will continue to be prosecuted
and sex assaults will continue to be investigated.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked, if it's not possible to place more
troopers in rural areas, whether there was a plan to increase
the number of VPSOs in the budget this year.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied that the department currently did
not have a budget ask for additional VPSO officers, but it was
an oversight. The intention was to add 10 additional VPSOs, and
the ultimate goal was to have 120 of those positions.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked if the department would welcome additional
VPSOs if they were added during the budget process.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL said absolutely.
4:17:37 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked him to talk about what the department was
doing to reduce trooper response times on the Kenai Peninsula.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL noted that they discussed this before and
that it would require more troopers. He acknowledged that
coverage in both urban and rural Alaska was not adequate and
that was due to an insufficient number of troopers to cover the
areas. He reminded the members that when he joined the
department in 1983, it had more troopers than it does in 2023
and the population had increased by more than 200,000 in that
time and crimes were more complex and violent. He highlighted
that 50 patrol troopers are assigned to the MatSu Valley up to
Talkeetna and the population is 119,000. This was equivalent to
having four deputy sheriffs patrolling all of West Virginia.
It's a ridiculous situation.
4:20:01 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked how trooper coverage compares between the
Kenai Peninsula and the MatSu Valley.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL answered that there are fewer troopers on
the Kenai Peninsula, the population is less, and the area
covered is less. He noted that many of the crimes in the MatSu
area were committed by Anchorage residents. He opined that the
reason was that the Anchorage Police Department had stepped up
patrols and officer numbers so it was easier for offenders from
Anchorage to "rape and pillage" in the MatSu Valley. The same
applied on the Kenai Peninsula, troopers were spread too thin.
4:21:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked how much of the DPS budget was
allocated to behavioral health and addiction treatment.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL agreed that more mental health services
were needed in this state, but that was outside DPS's purview as
a law enforcement agency.
4:24:14 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI highlighted that Anchorage has a tax base
and a fairly large portion of property tax assessments go to
fund police. He asked if there were communities in organized
boroughs that have a tax base, but do not provide a police force
and instead rely on Alaska State Troopers to provide law
enforcement.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied, "I think you know that answer as
well as I do." He acknowledged that the troopers were providing
services for some areas of the state that have a tax base.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked for the names of those areas.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL answered MatSu Valley, Kenai Peninsula,
and the Fairbanks North Star Borough. He added that Ketchikan
has a fully functioning police department and the troopers
provide services outside their jurisdiction.
4:25:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER requested the name of the organization
that has oversight of standards.
COMMISSIONER COCKRELL replied it's the International Association
of Chiefs of Police.
CHAIR KAWASAKI advised that the members may forward additional
questions that the chairs would forward.
4:26:24 PM
At ease
^PRESENTATION(S): Department of Corrections overview
PRESENTATION(S): DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OVERVIEW
4:29:21 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI reconvened the meeting and announced an overview
of the Department of Corrections by Commissioner-Designee
Jennifer Winkelman.
4:29:34 PM
JENNIFER WINKELMAN, Commissioner-Designee, Department of
Corrections, Juneau, Alaska, began the overview of the
department with the mission statement and description of the
core services of the department. She noted that it was through
executive order that DOC became a standalone department in 1984.
MISSION AND CORE SERVICES
• Mission: To provide secure confinement,
reformative programs, and a process of supervised
community reintegration to enhance the safety of
our communities
• Department FY2024 Positions: 2,109 permanent
full-time employees (PFT)
• Department FY2024 Budget Request: $419,410.900
The four divisions, Institutions; Health & Rehabilitation
Services; Pretrial, Probation, and Parole; and Administrative
Services meet the core services of secure confinement,
programing, and release. The table shows what division hits what
part of the mission.
4:31:05 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN spoke to slide 3:
DOC AT A GLANCE
• Alaska is one of seven states that operate a unified
correctional system. She explained that a state
unified system is one in which there is an
integrated state-level prison and jail system.
• DOC booked 27,748 offenders into its facilities in
FY2022.
• 16,978 were unique offenders. She explained that this
means multiple offenders were booked into the
facilities multiple times. One particular offender was
booked into a facility on criminal charges 94 times
over three years, which is equivalent to once every
ten days.
• 660 were non-criminal Title 47 bookings
• As of January 1, 2023, DOC was responsible for
10,748 individuals
• 4,404 offenders in jail or prison
• 191 offenders on sentenced electronic monitoring
(EM)
• 339 offenders in community residential centers
(CRCs)
• 3,163 offenders on probation or parole
• 2,651 defendants on pretrial supervision (1,864
on pretrial EM)
4:32:34 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed slide 4 that provides
an overview of the structure of DOC. She noted that the Board of
Parole is housed within the department for budget purposes, but
it is autonomous; those staff point directly to the five member
Board of Parole. She noted that leadership has over 150 years of
Alaska DOC experience. The chart read as follows:
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
• Commissioner's Office
• Division of Institutions
• Division of Health and Rehabilitation Services
• Division of Pretrial, Probation and Parole
• Division of Administrative Services
• Parole Board
4:33:22 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN turned to slide 5 and described
the Division of Institutions. The slide read as follows:
DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONS
• Institution Director's Office
• Inmate Time Accounting
• Chaplaincy Program
• Prison Rape Elimination Act Oversight
• Inmate Grievance Resolution
She explained that the individual in this position works to
resolve grievances before they result in a lawsuit.
• Security Threat Group
• Inmate Transportation and Point of Arrest
• Inmate Medical Transports
• Inmate Housing Transports
• K-9 Unit
• Point of Arrest
• Classification and Furlough
• Inmate Classification
• Inmate Furlough
• 13 Correctional Centers
• 7 Community Residential Centers (CRC)
• 5 Locations
• 6 Sentenced Electronic Monitoring (EM) Offices
• Out-of-State
• Medical and Separatee placements
4:35:09 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed slide 6 that provides
a visual of the institutional capacity and jail locations on
January 1, 2023. The yellow bar represents the general capacity,
which is all beds in the general population. Segregation beds
are excluded. The red bar represents the total maximum capacity,
which is all the general beds plus half the segregation beds.
She highlighted that all the facilities were below their general
capacity. This enhances employee wellness and safety within
facilities.
She referenced a question she fielded before the meeting about
whether capacity was constrained by vacancies within the
department. She explained that staff are transferred between
institutions to ensure the department meets its staffing
profile.
4:36:21 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN turned to slide 7, PRISON
POPULATION BY LEGAL STATUS. The chart shows that the unsentenced
population continues to grow. While there are many reasons,
there is anecdotal evidence that people are entering with more
serious charges and those cases take longer to dispose. She
noted that the numbers on the chart do not include the nearly
200 unsentenced federal holds.
4:37:37 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed the pie chart on slide
8, PRISON POPULATION BY OFFENSE CLASS. She pointed out that
crimes against a person make up the largest sector. Sex offenses
are broken out of crimes against a person because of the
particular interest in seeing the population makeup of sex
offenders in custody.
4:38:34 PM
SENATOR MERRICK asked how many people fall into more than one
category on the chart.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN replied there are many and she
would follow up with the exact numbers.
SENATOR MERRICK asked what rubric is used to determine what
category a person falls into.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN replied it is the most serious
crime she would follow up with the other numbers.
4:39:20 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed slide 9 and spoke to
the following:
DIVISION OF HEALTH & REHABILITATION SERVICES (HARS)
• Health & Rehabilitation Director's Office
• Medical Oversight
• Medicaid Assistance
• Physical Health Care
• Medical
• Dental
• Behavioral Health Care
• Mental Health Services
• Assess Plan Identify & Coordinate (APIC)
• Institutional Discharge Planning Plus (IDP+)
She shared that the department has a constitutional and
statutory obligation to provide timely access to medical and
behavioral health care to those in custody. Best practices are
utilized.
• Substance Abuse
• Assessment
• Residential Treatment
• Institutional Out-Patient Treatment
• Sex Offender Management
• Polygraph
• Institutional Sex Offender Program
• Community Sex Offender Program
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN noted that a full list of sex
offender programs is on the department website.
• Domestic Violence Program
• Batterer's Intervention Program
• Reentry & Recidivism Unit
• Offender Reentry
• Community Coordination
• Education/Vocational Programs
• Basic Adult Education
• Apprenticeship Training
• Vocational Training
4:41:09 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN turned to slide 10 and noted
that in 2018 the Division of Probation and Parole was blended
with the Division of Pretrial Enforcement to improve efficiency.
She discussed the following:
DIVISION OF PRETRIAL, PROBATION, & PAROLE (DP3)
• Probation and Parole Director's Office
• Victim Service Unit
• Pretrial Services
• Assessments
• Supervision
• Pretrial Electronic Monitoring
• Statewide Probation and Parole
• 13 regional locations
• Probation Accountability with Certain Enforcement
• Pre-Sentencing Unit
• Interstate Compact
• 15 Regional and Community Jails
• Bristol Bay Borough
• City of Cordova
• City of Craig
• City of Dillingham
• City of Haines
• City of Homer
• City of Kodiak
• City of Kotzebue
• North Slope Borough
• City of Petersburg
• City of Seward
• City of Sitka
• City of Unalaska
• City of Valdez
• City of Wrangell
4:43:09 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN turned to slide 10 and added to
her earlier commentary about the Board of Parole:
BOARD OF PAROLE
• Board of Parole
• Discretionary Parole
• Mandatory Parole
• Special Medical Parole
• Geriatric Parole
• Executive Clemency Program
• Parole Board Members
• Leitoni Matakaiongo Tupou, Chair
• Sarah Possenti, Vice Chair
• Steve Meyer, Member
• Jason Wilson, Member
• Ole Larson, Member
4:44:02 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed slide 10 and reviewed
the following:
DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
• Administrative Services
• Budget and Finance
• Inmate Banking
• Auditing and Internal Controls
• Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC)
• Construction Procurement and Space Liaison
• Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Certification
• Information Technology
• Alaska Corrections Offender Management System
• Inmate Law Library
• Inmate Technology Support
• Research and Records
• Permanent Fund Dividend Eligibility
Determination/Appeals
• Research and Reporting
• Criminal Justice Information Security
• Data Management
• Web Page
• Inmate DNA Collections and Tracking
• Facilities Capital Unit & OSHA Compliance
• Management Renovation, Repairs, and Construction
Management
• OSHA Compliance and Oversight
4:45:16 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed slide 10 and discussed
the following:
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
• Commissioner's Office
• Constituent Relations
• Compliance Standards
• Inmate ADA Grievances
• Public Information
• Policy and Procedures
• Employee Wellness Program
• Human Resources
• Employee Backgrounds
• Recruitment and Retention
• Recruitment Outreach
• Applicant Assistance
• Officer Medical Reimbursement
• Recruitment Incentive Leave Program
• Correctional Officer Seniority Tracking
• Training Academy
• Basic Officer Training
• Field Officer Training
• Prisoner Transportation Officer Training
• Firearm / Taser Training and Certification
• Municipal Officer Academy
• Offender Time Accounting
• Use of Force
• Methods of Instruction
4:46:13 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN displayed the bar chart on slide
14 that reflects the budgeted versus filled DOC positions by
category. She acknowledged that DOC was faced with the same
workforce issues that Commissioner Cockrell mentioned. She
highlighted the overall statewide vacancy rate of 13 percent,
but acknowledged the significantly higher rates in certain
areas. For example, the vacancy rate at the Spring Creek
Correctional Center in Seward inmates still need to be fed and
receive medical care. This leads to outside contracting and
greater expense. She discussed the things DOC has done to fill
positions. She relayed her ongoing view that if the department
works on retention, recruitment will take care of itself. She
described those efforts including attendance incentives,
scheduling to accommodate preferred shift assignments, and
building a travel unit of officers willing to cover different
areas.
4:49:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked for additional information about the
traveling unit.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN said the idea is to develop a
unit in more urban areas where positions are easier to fill and
housing is more readily available. Those individuals would cover
vacancies in other areas.
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked how long individuals in the travel
unit would be away.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN replied that these individuals
would fill in for a typical shift, which for a correctional
officer is a week on and a week off. She acknowledged that
planning for the unit was in the early stages.
4:50:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY mentioned staffing shortages and asked her
to discuss the physical care of individuals who come into
custody, how their needs are assessed, and if there were any
funding gaps that affect the assessments and care.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN said the department utilizes
contract and locum services to ensure there is a qualified
professional to meet individuals who enter custody. She deferred
the question about health care to Adam Rutherford.
4:52:10 PM
ADAM RUTHERFORD, Acting Director, Division of Health and
Rehabilitation Services, Department of Corrections (DOC),
Anchorage, Alaska, explained that medical care begins at intake.
Each individual receives an in-depth assessment. They are
interviewed and their medical records and releases are reviewed.
Standardized screening forms are used. Based on the information
that's disclosed on intake, there can be referrals for mental
health and substance abuse treatment. There are also referrals
to in-house providers for any follow up medical needs.
Correctional officers are trained to recognize symptoms that
indicate someone needs medical attention. Nursing staff make
rounds in a facility. There is also an established process for
offenders to request care and or services, including access to
specialty care that are referred out. Several facilities offer
infirmary care. DOC is also able to provide hospital-level care
for individuals with behavioral health needs in certain
facilities.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY mentioned the deaths in DOC facilities and
asked how the department was assessing these deaths and whether
there was a processes to crosscheck identified needs and
medications to ensure there isn't a gap in care or a previously
unidentified need.
MR. RUTHERFORD said the department upgraded its electronic
health record system so there are mechanisms to track
individuals who have acute and chronic care needs. This has been
helpful in ensuring that quality care is provided. Emphasis is
also placed on individuals taking responsibility for their own
follow up care.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked if any gaps had been identified in
the intake assessment process.
MR. RUTHERFORD replied DOC is always looking for ways to improve
their services. He mentioned a new protocol during detox and
increasing nursing staff and clinicians in facilities.
4:58:47 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked what measures the department was taking
to keep the population under capacity in the different
correctional facilities.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN said the transportation and
classification units look at the daily count every day. If a
facility is nearing capacity, the inmates are evaluated to
determine whether and where they could be relocated.
SENATOR BJORKMAN said that answers the question on a facility to
facility basis, but it doesn't answer what's being done to
prevent institutional over capacity when nearly 40 percent of
the prison population are repeat offenders.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN replied that part of population
management includes the utilization of halfway houses and
electronic monitoring.
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if the 40 percent repeat offenders was an
indication that the justice system in general was encouraging
corrections to release individuals when they should not be
released.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN answered no; there is no
pressure for DOC to release someone without a court order.
However, the growing unsentenced population is an outside factor
that is affecting DOC's population management.
5:02:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked about opportunities and barriers for
furloughed individuals to go to halfway houses.
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN replied there are barriers for
certain offenders to go to certain locations. For example,
Anchorage municipal code prohibits the release of sex offenders
to a halfway house and Alaska statutes do not allow domestic
violence offenders to go on electronic monitoring.
5:03:32 PM
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN advanced to slide 15 and spoke
to the following:
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• Health and Well Being of Staff
• Inmates, Defendants and Probationer/Parolees leave
us better than when they entered the system
• Identifying Efficiencies and Resources to Reduce
Recidivism
COMMISSIONER-DESIGNEE WINKELMAN said she would be remiss if she
didn't talk about inmate deaths. The department saw 18 deaths in
2022: 11 via natural causes and 7 by suicide. Each death was
investigated internally, by the Department of Public Safety, and
the medical examiner. The National Suicide Prevention Foundation
implemented Project 25 and is targeting the correctional
population because of the sharp increase in suicides in
facilities. It is guiding suicide prevention measures within the
department. A wellness staff position in the commissioner's
office will coordinate between agencies that look into inmate
deaths. She noted that the department's website was updated
recently and now has the history of deaths in the facilities and
a snapshot of the population. She emphasized that the department
was working hard to bring those numbers down.
She concluded the presentation displaying pictures of the
department's drug dogs. She noted that the combined total
contraband listed on the slide reflected drug interception from
more than just the correctional facilities. The canine unit
helps with probation and parole, the DEA, and the postal
inspector.
5:10:32 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI thanked her for the presentation and advised that
he would follow up with a letter asking for more information
about the individuals who died while in custody. He acknowledged
that some of the information was protected.
5:12:22 PM
There being no further business to come before the committees,
Chair Kawasaki adjourned the joint meeting of the Senate and
House State Affairs Standing Committees at 5:12 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| (H) and (S) JOINT STATE AFFAIRS PPT PUBLIC SAFETY 2.7.2023.pdf |
SSTA 2/7/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Overviews |
| DOC Overview - Joint S&H State Affairs February 7, 2023.pdf |
SSTA 2/7/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Overviews |