2021 Legislative Advocacy
and Outcomes
The Alaska Reentry & Justice Partnership supports policies and funding that promote access to services and supports and increase the likelihood of success after incarceration—including access to transitional and reentry planning, treatment and recovery, housing and employment assistance, education and training, faith-based and culturally-appropriate supports, and more. During the 2021 legislative session, Partnership tracked the following bills and budget items impacting justice-involved Alaskans, with their status:
BILLS
HB 118 – Access to ID, Driver’s License, Digital Technology (Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins). This bill requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to work with the Department of Corrections to provide on request, before release, an ID/Driver’s License for eligible inmates serving 120 days or more. Additionally, it expands the allowable uses of digital technology in prisons for improved access to education and training, behavioral health treatment and recovery, reentry planning, visitation, faith-based and cultural supports, and more. Did not pass, still on the table for 2022.
SB 70 - Opioid Overdose Prevention (Sen. Wilson). This bill supports the continuation of a previous standing order to allow paramedics and other first responders to administer Naloxone, an opioid overdose prevention drug, without restriction. It also allows individuals to purchase Naloxone without prescription. Passed the legislature, signed into law on June 29.
SB 2 – Peace Officers De-Escalation Training (Sen. Gray-Jackson). This bill relates to de-escalation procedures used by peace officers, reporting acts of misconduct, peace officer training and certificates, and activities related to the Alaska Police Standards Council. Did not pass, still on the table for 2022.
HB 105 – Detention of Minors (Governor Dunleavy). This bill brings state law into compliance with federal requirements related to the detention and placement of juveniles under the age of 18 in adult jails or correctional facilities. It also brings state law into compliance with federal provisions related to runaways and missing children held in secure juvenile facilities without requisite court findings. Passed the legislature, signed into law on July 9.
SB 114 – Juvenile Offenders, Parole Eligibility (Sen. Begich). This bill addresses parole eligibility for juveniles sentenced as adults, including consideration of age, maturity, criminal history, behavior, family circumstances, participation in treatment, plans for reentry, etc., and allows for consideration of discretionary parole after 15 years. Did not pass, still on the table for 2022.
FY22 BUDGET
Therapeutic Courts. $488,400 general funds will expand oversight and operations to improve the court’s ability to provide alternatives to incarceration for Alaskans with mental illness, substance use disorders, and other disabilities. Therapeutic Courts offer case management, housing and employment assistance, access to healthcare, treatment and recovery supports, peer support, and more, promoting stability and reduced criminal behavior. Passed the legislature and upheld by the governor.
Discharge Incentive Grants. $100,000 Mental Health Trust funds support housing and transitional services for Alaskans leaving incarceration, including people with behavioral health disorders (mental illness and addiction) and other disabilities, increasing the likelihood of stability and reduced recidivism. Passed by the legislature and upheld by the governor.
Homeless Assistance Program. $4.55 million general funds and Mental Health Trust funds provides grants to community providers and homeless shelters who offer emergency rental and utility assistance, rapid rehousing, homeless prevention services, and more, to Alaskans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Passed by the legislature and upheld by the governor.
Special Needs Housing. $1.7 million Mental Health Trust funds support housing programs that serve short- and long-term housing needs of homeless Alaskans, or Alaskans or at risk of homelessness. The program is administered through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC). Passed by the legislature, reduced by
$1.5 million by the governor.
Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery (BHTR) Grants. An additional $1.25 million to BHTR grants will cover treatment and recovery services that are not Medicaid-reimbursable. Without these grant dollars, treatment providers are at risk for reducing services at a time when more treatment is needed, not less. Recovery from addiction is a key factor contributing to stability and success after incarceration. Passed the legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.
Holistic Defense Project. $252,000 Mental Health Trust funds to the Public Defender Agency and Alaska Legal Services maintains funding for the project in Bethel, Nome, and Kotzebue, with expansion plans to Anchorage. This Holistic Defense supports Alaskans with behavioral health disorders by providing a social worker, and criminal and civil legal aid attorneys to address client obstacles to self-sufficiency. Passed the legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.
Peer Certification. $150,000 Mental Health Trust funds support the state’s multi-year plan to implement a certification body and standardized training for peer support professionals statewide. The effort promotes workforce development for people with lived experience of substance use disorders, mental illness, incarceration, and more. Passed by the legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.
Sobering Centers. $200,000 in general funds maintains ongoing support for sobering centers who offer an alternative to emergency room care and protective custody placement in jails. Sobering center administrators report that many of their services are not Medicaid reimbursable and instead depend on state general fund dollars to continue providing services. Without these services, more Alaskans will be at risk of freezing, becoming victimized, or causing harm. Passed by the legislature, but was vetoed by the governor.
Re-Open Palmer Correctional Center (PCC). Funds support the Department of Corrections’ effort to re-open the Palmer Correctional Center. The refurbished facility adds over 500 beds and incorporates multiple “treatment houses” for sub-acute mental health, substance abuse, faith-based, education, reentry, and sex offenses. Passed by the legislature and upheld by the governor.
GPS Tracking for Community Residential Center (CRC) Placements. Additional funding and authority will expand the use of GPS tracking for individuals released to CRCs (halfway houses), using this technology to securely monitor locations in real time, and promoting successful supervised transition into the community. Funds were passed by the legislature and upheld by the governor.