HB 330-RESTRICT PRISONER ACCESS DIGITAL DEVICES  3:06:45 PM CHAIR SHAW announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 330, "An Act relating to the use and possession of electronic devices by prisoners." 3:07:15 PM REPRESENTATIVE SARAH VANCE, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, introduced HB 330. She provided a sponsor statement, [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: House Bill 330 embodies a common-sense and impactful approach to correctional reform. By authorizing institutions to provide prisoners with restricted access to tablets for education, reentry, and essential life purposes, this legislation extends opportunity and a path toward successfully reintegrating into society without the likelihood of future criminal activity. This strategy for preparing prisoners for successful reentry isn't primarily rooted in compassion; it's also a strategic public safety measure. Recognizing the pivotal role education plays in breaking the criminal cycle, HB 330 enables access to limitless educational and programming resources through tablets. By acknowledging the transformative influence of learning in the rehabilitation process, the bill prioritizes the State's long-term goal of reintegrating individuals into society as productive and law-abiding citizens, thereby preventing future crimes and avoiding any future victims. Allowing inmates restricted access to tablets does not constitute a luxury or reward. To the contrary, in our digital era, investing in education and rehabilitation through technology isn't about being soft on crime; it's about tackling the underlying causes of criminal behavior, thereby reducing recidivism rates and preventing new crimes. Research consistently underscores how effective education is in reducing the likelihood of an individual committing a new crime. By equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills required for a constructive life, HB 330 not only enhances public safety but also alleviates the financial strain linked with incarcerating repeat offenders. The resultant cost savings could potentially rescue the state millions of dollars in the long run, rendering this legislation a prudent investment in societal well- being. 3:10:10 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 3:10:32 PM BOB BALLINGER, Staff, Representative Sarah Vance, Alaska State Legislature, provided a video during the presentation of HB 330, on behalf of Representative Vance, prime sponsor. The video, titled "DC jails and AWS CPC," described a partnership with American Prison Data Systems and Amazon Webservices to help provide cloud certification programs for incarcerated people. 3:14:32 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE provided a PowerPoint presentation, titled "HB 330 Restrict Digital Access to Prisoners" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. She stated that participation in correctional education programs significantly reduced the risk of recidivism. She moved to slide 4 and said that those who are enrolled in post-secondary education programs while incarcerated were 48 percent less likely to be reincarcerated than those who do not pursue further education. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE moved to slide 5, titled "Path to Employment," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Formerly incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27 percent - higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression REPRESENTATIVE VANCE moved to slide 6, titled "Barriers to Participation," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Among the 57% of people in state prisons who had never participated in education programming; 18% cite never being offered the opportunity. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE said that research indicates that gainful employment post-release significantly decreases the likelihood of recidivism. Investing in skills developed during incarceration is beneficial to individuals and the community. She noted the barriers to educational opportunities due to funding issues. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE moved to slide 7, titled "Educational Aspirations of Prisoners," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: 70% Want to participate in education 29% Of the 70%, 29% want earn a certificate from a college or trade school 18% Of the 70%, 18% want to earn a certificate from a high school diploma/GED or an Associate's degree REPRESENTATIVE VANCE moved to slide 8, titled "Return on Investment in Correctional Education," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: For every dollar spent on correctional education, $5 is saved in three-year re-incarceration costs - a 400% ROI REPRESENTATIVE VANCE said that HB 330 enhances public safety and results in cost savings. She made note of the attached zero fiscal note. She explained that the bill also offers the opportunity for incarcerated individuals to connect with their legal counsel and families. 3:18:54 PM PHILIP LICHT, President and CEO, Set Free Alaska, described services offered to those who are reentering the community after incarceration. He described that in his experience, the more disconnected from their family and communities people become, the more difficult it is to reintegrate them, and thus are more likely to commit new crimes, which perpetuates the cycle. MR. LICHT said he is a strong proponent of educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals. Rehabilitation will help with reintegration. He mentioned it can be a challenge to provide services to incarcerated individuals due to technological limitations within institutions. He mentioned that his younger brother currently is incarcerated in Arizona and has access to a tablet. He described the benefits for incarcerated individuals to be able to communicate with family members and participate in educational programs on the tablet. He explained that families of people who are incarcerated pay for the ability to text and contact the person through a third- party program. He expressed his opinion that HB 330 could benefit incarcerated individuals in Alaska. 3:23:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE passed around an example tablet on behalf of the invited testimony from ViaPath Technologies. 3:24:15 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 3:24:41 PM JOHN PILCHER, Associate Vice President of Sales and Engineering, ViaPath Technologies, provided a demonstration of the purpose- built tablet for corrections facilities and explained that each offender would utilize their unique pin which is paired with a photo for added security. He explained how the tablets were designed with security in mind. MR. PILCHER showed an inmate handbook that needs to be acknowledged by the user before proceeding to use the tablet. He showed a profile page, which has educational content available to the offenders. He mentioned that offenders can continue to access their educational accounts after incarceration as they reintegrate into the community. MR. PILCHER showed the education application and said that teachers are given access to assign work. He discussed electronic communication on the tablet, which provides a secure environment for inmates to communicate with their families. No apps or Internet access is available on the tablets other than Department of Corrections (DOC) approved secured content. MR. PILCHER explained that video visitation can be utilized on tablets and has a secure internal system that can be monitored and recorded by the facility. 3:29:45 PM PELICIA HALL, Senior Vice President, ViaPath Technologies, emphasized educational, vocational, family reunification services, and substance abuse and mental health treatment programs that are available through the program. She explained that the tablets serve as a force multiplier for correctional systems. She noted a lack of adequate staff in corrections facilities across the country. Devices provide services at the fingertips of incarcerated people. Communication services help to ensure a pathway of rehabilitation and reentry. She highlighted the stringent security of the devices. 3:32:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked for more information about how incarcerated individuals can contact friends and family utilizing the tablets. MR. PILCHER explained that friends and family can request contact with an offender and then DOC staff can approve or disapprove the communication. The communications offered include messaging and video calls. 3:33:00 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about the fiscal note and whether tablets already exist in the facilities. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE said that the cost of the tablets would not be incurred by the state. She explained that there are a variety of third-party opportunities as well as payment by the families of inmates for tablets. 3:34:14 PM APRIL WILKERSON, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections, said that there is currently a pilot program that is limited and is approved for attorney-client meetings. She said DOC is working with the Parole Board to utilize ViaPath Technologies to reduce the travel costs associated with parole hearings. She said DOC is working with courts to undergo court hearings on the tablets. She said there is currently a limited number of tablets at the Goose Creek Correctional Center for video court hearings. REPRESENTATIVE STORY expressed her excitement about the bill. She asked what HB 330 will mean to DOC. MS. WILKERSON expressed the hope to increase efficiency and expand program capabilities. The department hopes to deploy telemedicine through tablets. She reported that in 2023, just over 5,000 individuals were transported outside the institution for medical purposes. Through preventative telemedicine, medical costs for the incarcerated can be significantly reduced. The implementation of tablets creates an opportunity to offset manual processes like paper mail. She explained that requests for information currently involve handwritten requests and responses. Converting to an electronic process would generate efficiency and alleviate manual processes. 3:38:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked if any security issues have arisen within the pilot project. MS. WILKERSON explained that there are currently only six active tablets and about 300 are expected to be deployed by the end of month. A slow roll-out will help to ensure security is maintained within the institution. REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked for more information about security. MR. PILCHER explained that the tablet software is custom-built for corrections. He described the internal wireless infrastructure, which is installed by ViaPath Technologies and is accessible only by ViaPath Technologies tablets. 3:40:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked who provides instruction for the educational components of the software. MS. HALL explained that ViaPath Technologies is partnered with third parties who provide educational content. ViaPath Technologies has its own learning management system that provides thousands of courses with evidence-based programming. There is a catalog of programming available for vocational services and a myriad of other topics. Educational programs are carefully vetted for robust educational services. 3:42:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked if visitation at DOC is back to pre-COVID-19 pandemic standards. MS. WILKERSON answered, yes. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked if the current methods for visitation are in person or over the phone. MS. WILKERSON answered, yes. She described the different types of visitations. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked about cost of phone calls within corrections facilities. MS. WILKERSON answered that currently inmates pay for phone calls. Currently, four free phone calls are provided per week. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked if there is a cost for in-person visitation. MS. WILKERSON answered that in-person visitation incurs no cost to incarcerated individuals or their families. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK mentioned that she supports the proposed legislation. She expressed her concern with the sponsor statement's reference to cost-savings. MS. WILKERSON offered her reassurance that the department will continue to maintain in-person visitation. She stated the HB 330 is an enhancement not replacement of current operations. 3:45:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked who would own the devices. MS. WILKERSON said they are owned by ViaPath Technologies and made available through a lease program. MR. PILCHER confirmed that the tablets are provided and owned by ViaPath Technologies. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked about the payment models utilized to pay for tablet leases. MS. WILKERSON explained that the model will depend on the legislation and request for proposal among contractors. Under the current pilot program, DOC is not responsible for costs. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked if costs would shift to families. MS. WILKERSON answered that the costs would depend on the outcome of negotiations through procurement and contactors. She said that she envisions a certain level of free use and then costs may be shifted to families or incarcerated individuals. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked about device maintenance and whether DOC will need to pay to have employees trained to maintain the devices. MS. WILKERSON said the intent of DOC is to ensure that the provider maintains the equipment. Viapath Technologies has provided its own infrastructure and is responsible for maintenance. She said DOC may be responsible for only a small amount of troubleshooting. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked about software upgrades. 3:49:41 PM MR. PILCHER stated that software updates are carried out remotely. MS. HALL explained that it is not the desire of ViaPath Technologies to implement a model where families or incarcerated individuals pay for the devices. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked about communication recordings and how attorney-client privileged conversations remain private. MR. PILCHER explained that there is a provision in the technology to mark someone as a "professional visitor" and those conversations would not be recorded. For conversations with friends and families, a notification is utilized to inform those parties that they will be recorded. REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER asked if the department would need to upgrade the Wi-Fi. MS. WILKERSON responded that the DOC infrastructure is old and has worked with ViaPath Technologies to install a new network. 3:52:33 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked how ViaPath Technologies was chosen. MS. WILKERSON answered that she is aware of about five businesses with similar corrections-grade tablets. The department coordinated with the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and initiated a contract with ViaPath Technologies. 3:54:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE SHAW announced that HB 330 was held over.