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.