Session: State Capitol, Room 125 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-6600 Fax: (907) 465-3805 Interim: 600 E. Railroad Ave. Wasilla, AK 99654-7035 Phone: (907) 376-3370 Fax: (907) 376-3157

Sponsor Statement for SB 231
Correctional Facility Expansion

An Act relating to correctional facilities.

The need for additional prison beds in Alaska has been recognized by the Legislature for a number of years. Currently, there are hundreds of Alaskan prisoners being held in facilities outside of Alaska. The money that leaves Alaska to pay for the housing of these prisoners provides jobs and economic activity in Arizona, instead of Alaska.

Senate Bill 231 provides legislative authorization for the expansion of state prisons by local governments. Under the provisions of SB 231, local governments would finance the construction of new prison facilities and additional beds at facilities currently owned by the state. The State of Alaska would then enter into long-term leases and operate the facilities as part of the state correctional system. This financing mechanism allows the state to acquire facilities with no upfront capital costs. It benefits both the state and local economies with construction jobs and long-term jobs in the facilities. In many cases the existing facilities were designed with oversized core facilities that allow for expansion at a cost that is far less than that of building the same number of beds in a new facility.

The need for additional prison beds in Alaska is virtually uncontested. However, the location of facilities, the method of financing the construction and who will operate the new facilities all raise issues. In 1998, the Legislature authorized the construction of a privately constructed and operated prison with a minimum of 800 beds in Delta Junction. This prison was not built. In 2001, the Legislature passed HB 149, which provided for construction of a minimum of 800 private prison beds on the Kenai Peninsula. This prison also is not being built. By expanding currently existing facilities, very little energy must be spent on convincing a community that a prison should be constructed there. Expansion poses few of the obstacles that accompany new construction at new locations. Current correctional facilities are already integrated into and accepted by local communities.

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