SB 25 TELEPHONE VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM SB 26 APPROP: VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM CHAIRMAN GREEN called the Senate State Affairs Committee to order at 3:34 p.m. and brought SB 25 and SB 26 before the committee as the first order of business. SENATOR JOHNNY ELLIS, prime sponsor of SB 25 and SB 26, said in December 1993, Kentucky resident Mary Byron was murdered by her rapist just days after his release on bail. Neither Mary nor her family were aware that Mary's attacker had been released. Waiting for her outside a shopping mall, Donovan Harris shot and killed Mary Byron; it was her 21st birthday. He said that although this tragic event didn't happen in Alaska, there are compelling stories from people in this state who faced the same of kind dilemma. Senator Ellis stressed that proper and timely notification to victims of violent crime about the release or escape of their attackers is a serious problem, both nationally and in Alaska. In 1996, Alaska prisons and pretrial facilities housed 2,990 inmates, 49 percent of whom were considered violent offenders. He pointed out that each day over 600 concerned Alaskans call our state institutions seeking information about the status of inmates. Senator Ellis related that in order to keep crime victims informed of inmate status, a state-of-the-art computer system called Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) was developed and is now in place in over 150 counties in 12 states. VINE provides two important services which enhance the vital link of communication between the justice system and victims of violent crime: (1) the system provides automatic notification phone calls to crime victims when an inmate status changes within 10 minutes of a change in the offender's status; and (2) it provides critical inmate information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the automated telephone system. Senator Ellis said he believes implementing VINE will increase state compliance with the Victims' Bill of Rights, overwhelmingly passed by the people of Alaska in the 1994 election. SB 25 is what he considers a piece of unfinished business on the victims' rights agenda. He noted the legislation has strong support throughout the state, and he urged the committee's favorable consideration. Number 090 SENATOR GREEN asked if there was any change in the fiscal notes attached to the legislation. SENATOR ELLIS responded that he worked closely with the Department of Corrections to reduce the amount of the appropriation bill from $250,000 to $150,000 which is the bare bones start-up costs. It is estimated that the ongoing operating cost would be about $90,000 a year. He added that there may be a possibility in the future to apply for some federal funds to offset those costs. Number 120 JOHN RICHARD, Chief Municipal Prosecutor, Municipality of Anchorage, related that his office prosecutes about 1,500 domestic violence cases a year. His major concern is the portion of the Domestic Violence Act of 1996 which added to the bail statutes by requiring the correctional facility to notify his office of a defendant's release and then they must take reasonable steps to immediately notify the alleged victim of the release. Mr. Richard said his office receives faxes from all the correctional institutions of a proposed release date, and it is burdensome to attempt to notify the victims with that, but it is something that they have just barely been able to manage. He said there is no way, his office can make any meaningful compliance with the requirement to immediately notify the victim of a defendant's release on bail when that occurs in the early morning hours, which they usually do. He believes that an automated system is the only way to meaningfully comply with the statute. Concluding, Mr. Richard said that when victims can be given more safety, more assurance and more information, they are more cooperative with his office and they can be more effective in prosecuting these offenses. ARNE FRITZ, Victim Witness Coordinator, Domestic Violence Unit, Municipality of Anchorage, testifying in support of SB 25 and SB 26, said he is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Abused Women's Aid in Crisis Center in Anchorage. He pointed out that the vast majority of cases they deal with are misdemeanor cases, and in misdemeanor cases, the sentences are not necessarily very long. Bail conditions can sometimes change daily, and there is no ability to really keep track of what a person's bail conditions are much less of when they make those bail conditions. He thinks it is vital that victims have the empowerment and the ability to get the immediate information when they need it. Number 215 ETHEL BARNZ of Eagle River related she was the winner of the "Send Me to Juneau Contest" sponsored by the Anchorage Daily News. Testifying in support of SB 25 and SB 26, Ms. Barns stated she has been threatened, attacked and stalked, and this is still occurring. She said the VINE program is needed to keep her children and elderly parents safe. She found out that her attacker was lose by him attacking her parents' tenant a week after he got out of jail. She urged the committee's support for the legislation. Number 225 CHAIRMAN GREEN thanked Ms. Barnz for her testimony, and related that her own sister went through a similar situation for months, and it was a very difficult time in their family. Number 236 SENATOR MACKIE moved SB 25 and SB 26 and the accompanying fiscal notes be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.