The Alaska Department of Corrections will soon undergo a big change. As a requirement of section 117 of the criminal justice reform law known as Senate Bill 91, the department must create a new Pretrial Division. It will enable the department to act as a form of third-party custodian to people who have been accused of a crime, but not convicted. The program is not for parolees.
Beginning in January 2018, alleged offenders will be able to be released from jail and be monitored by a pretrial officer instead of a traditional third-party custodian. Geri Fox, the division’s director, said efforts to form the division started 40 years ago.
“It fills quite a gap in our public safety process in Alaska,” said Fox.
The division will hire 20 to 30 pretrial officers in Anchorage out of a total of 70 statewide. They will be tasked with duties like checking in on alleged offenders, ensuring they are following conditions of release and making court dates. They will also write risk assessments for arrested people that aim to help the judge better determine how to set bail and what conditions of release may be.
“People get out of jail. That’s the reality. What we have not had is an effective way of identifying what their risk is and what the level of monitoring should be. That’s what’s coming to Alaska,” said Fox, who added that similar programs already exist in a number of states.
Alaska DOC Commissioner Dean Williams called the program a “missing piece” in the state’s justice system. He believes the division will save the state money, as a day in jail costs $150 per inmate.
“We see cases all the time where people are in jail for $500 bond for weeks on end,” said Williams. He said people in those types of situations are able to be released and return to work while being monitored by the state. Williams wants to avoid having people suspected of committing low-risk crimes spending time in jail with people facing more serious charges.
“When you mix these two populations, you’re not influencing the bad guys. You’re influencing the lightweight guys who are now getting more prison mentality and that is a no-win situation,” said Williams. “Getting those populations figured out earlier on improves public safety, and that’s what every other state that has done this has demonstrated. It’s a no brainer.”
Incarcerated populations have been growing quickly in Alaska. According to the DOC, 80 percent of the incarcerated population’s growth during the last decade has been made up of people awaiting trial. Williams said he wants more cells filled with people who pose the greatest risk to society.
“We want the jail cell for the person who scares us, who’s committed a violent crime, who’s done something [like] broken into our homes, who is a repeat offender. We want the jail cell for that individual,” he said.
Fox said high-risk individuals will still be able to pay bail and be released from jail, as they are now. However, starting next year, she believes the DOC will be better able to keep track of them.
“If you do get out now, and you are a higher risk individual, we’re there. We’re going to be watching you,” she said.
Pretrial officers are currently being hired; their training academy takes place in July. It is unclear where their Anchorage office will be located.
Fox said the department will have a pilot program running in September and it will be fully operational by the January deadline set by SB 91.
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