state of alaska department of corrections rural justice commission overview

STATE OF ALASKA

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Rural Justice Commission

Overview

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DOC Mission Statement

“The mission of the Department of Corrections is

to protect the public by incarcerating and supervising

offenders.”

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Supporting Strategies

To accomplish its mission the department will:• Respect the rights of victims of crime;• Hold offenders accountable;• Provide offenders with opportunities for

reform in an environment that is safe, fair and secure;

• Provide training to staff so they may serve as positive role models to offenders, while ensuring officer safety.

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• Division of Institutions

• Division of Probation and Parole

• Division Administrative Services

The mission is completed by three divisions and two boards:

• Board of Parole

• Correctional Industries Commission

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Division of Institutions

• 12 Major Institutions in Alaska:

Anchorage Fairbanks

Juneau Ketchikan

Palmer Bethel

Sutton Pt. MacKenzie

Nome Kenai

Seward Eagle River

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Institutions also oversees:

• Arizona contract facility: 750 prisoners

• Community Residential Centers: 700 prisoners

• Electronic Monitoring: 120 prisoners

• Community Jails: 141 prisoners

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The 12 institutions have a maximum capacity of 3206.

Challenge:

The Numbers Game

• System is always at 100% capacity

• 200 more prisoners in 2003-2004

• 40 more prisoners in 2004-2005

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Population Trend

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INCARCERATION RATES

Between 1991 and 1998 incarceration rate rose by 47%, while the overall crime rate dropped by 22%

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Alaska Native Offenders

Offender Origin by Court Case

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Alaska Native Offenders

Length of Time from Admission

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Alaska Native Offenders

Offenses by Class & Sex

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Alaska Native Offenders

Distribution in DOC System

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Alaska Native Offenders

Race vs. Sentence Length

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Probation Officers Supervise 4907 offenders in our communities from 15 field offices:

Division of Probation and Parole:

Anchorage Fairbanks Juneau

Ketchikan Sitka Nome

Bethel Kotzebue Kodiak

Barrow Dillingham Kenai

Palmer

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Probation Officers work for three different entities:

Three Hats:

• Corrections: Supervising Offenders in Communities

• Court System: Presentence Reports

• Parole Board: Supervising Offenders under authority of the Board

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147 new offenders in 2004 – 3.09% Growth• Equivalent to two P.O. caseloads• 53 new sex offenders in 2004 – 7.46%

Growth

Growth in P.O. Caseloads68 Probation Officers in Alaska – Currently 11 vacancies:

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• Institutional Treatment Program at Hiland Mtn. that treated only 1% of all sex offenders ended in FY04

• Alaska has one of the highest ratios of sex offenders per capita

• Lack of approved sex offender treatment providers in the community

• Deceptive/Manipulative: Difficulty in identifying criminal patterns

• Large P.O. Caseloads

Challenge: Managing Sex Offenders

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Alaska Native Offenders

Sex Offenders by Race

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• Reduce sex offender caseloads• Implement Containment Management

Model in FY05:

New Risk Assessment

Pilot Project using Polygraph

Sex Offender Strategy:

• The Containment model is considered the ‘best practice’ and is used in 38 other jurisdictions.

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Victim Services Oversight • Operates VINE System• Coordinates services with victim advocacy

organizations, including:Office of Victims RightsVictims for Justice, STARMothers Against Drunk Driving

Probation & Parole Services

VPSO Coordination and Training

• VPSOs monitor offenders in villages. 4-7 training sessions annually for 50-55 VPSOs

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Lock ‘em up and through away the key?

Offender Programs

NO!When offenders choose to make positive changes in their lives, Corrections has a host of programs to assist them.

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All of the programs in place prior to this administration are still offered:

Offender Programs

Cultural Programs

• Potlatches are held in all sentenced facilities• Carving in all sentenced facilities

• Sweat lodges at sentenced facilities

• Talking Circles at facilities w/ volunteers

In addition, we’ve added:

• MOU w/ South Central Foundation

• Pre-release screenings by Cook Inlet Tribal Council

• Potlatch at Arizona Facility

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Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Programs:

Long-term therapeutic community treatment for offenders with histories of severe addiction

Offender Programs

Substance Abuse

42-bed program in Kenai for men

32-bed program in Eagle River for women

New 40-bed program in Arizona for men

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Adult Basic Education (ABE) Provided at all institutions

Offender Programs

Education

General Equivalency Degree (GED) Provided at all institutions

Life Skills Programming – Health/safety, pre-release employment. Provided at all institutions

Vocational Education – Provided at sentenced institutions only

Post-Secondary Education – Available at prisoner’s own expense.

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Corrections is the largest mental health provider in Alaska

Offender Programs

Mental Health

• 30-35% of offenders have been diagnosed with a disorder

• 15-18% of offenders are chronically mentally ill

• Mental health staff are seeing 120 NEW patients each month. Staff had 13,300 contacts in 2004 – a 20% increase over 2003.

•More than 50% of Corrections pharmacy costs are psychotropic.

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Resources

Offender Programs

Mental Health

• Mental services are available at all institutions.

• Two hospital-level psychiatric acute care units at the Anchorage Complex and Eagle River

•Two sub acute care units at Palmer and Seward

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Diversion ProgramsCorrections works with partners to divert persons with mental health issues out of institutions

Offender Programs

Mental Health

• Mental Health Courts (Misdemeanants) – Located in Anchorage since 1998. New MH court in Palmer, March 2005

• Jail Alternative Services – In conjunction with OPA/Southcentral Counseling

• Institutional Discharge Program (IDP) for felons. Began in 1994

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Full range of medical services at all institutions

Offender Programs

Medical

• Offender population is generally in poor health due to a variety of factors including substance abuse

• Medical costs are determined by needs of prisoners. One catastrophic case can significantly impact budget• Medical Parole Bill has enabled cost control by shifting health care costs to other providers

• Limited health care to short-term offenders able to get care from other providers when released

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Multi-faith services available at all facilities

Offender Programs

Chaplaincy Program

• Full-time paid Chaplaincy Coordinator. 3 paid chaplains in institutions

• Faith-based Transformation Living Community (TLC) at Palmer Correctional Center. Operation of 38-bed unit is privately funded by faith community and through a grant from the South Central Foundation. Waiting list to get in the program.

• Faith-based TLC at Arizona facility for long-term offenders

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The most effective way to help offenders reenter society is to give them a chance to work and build solid employment skills

Offender Programs

Offender Work

• In institutions, offenders work in a variety of support jobs, including janitorial, food preparation, laundry, grounds work and maintenance

• Alaska Correctional Industries operates factories at several institutions making furniture, clothing and textiles, metal items, and providing commercial laundry services• In the community, offenders are required to hold a job or be actively looking

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Corrections has partnered with several agencies to assist offenders re-entering society and break the cycle of recidivism

Offender Programs

Partnering for the Future

• Federal Re-Entry Initiative Grant in Juneau and Bethel partners with local non-profit agencies

• South Central Foundation MOU

• Social Security Administration

• Veterans Administration

• Cook Inlet Tribal Council

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Recruitment and Retention of Correctional Officers and Probation Officers

#1 Priority:

• Stateside recruitment campaign this spring with print, radio and TV ads

• New hiring process for Correctional Officer began Jan. 3

• New interview process for probation officers has increased number of candidates completing the screening process

• Targeted recruitment for local hire in Nome and Bethel

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Questions?