Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Green Introduces Bill to Ease Prison Overcrowding; Punish Misdemeanants

For Immediate Release: May 6, 1997 Contact: Rep. Joe Green (907) 465-4931

JUNEAU - Judges would be able to sentence a person convicted of a petty crime to wear an electronic monitoring device instead of taking up much-needed jail space under a bill introduced Tuesday by Representative Joe Green (R) Anchorage. Green introduced HB 272 partly in response to prison overcrowding, but also, he says, to deliver justice more quickly.

Electronic monitoring has been used extensively throughout the lower 48, in Canada, and Europe. In such programs, a person convicted of a crime wears a transmitter, usually on a non-removable ankle cuff. A tracking receiver at a base station establishes the location of the individual. In most cases an offender is required to stay at home, but in some cases is allowed to go to school or work. If they stray from those locations, law enforcement authorities are alerted electronically.

"This won't solve all of our prison overcrowding problems" Green said, "but for a certain category of offender, it's a punitive measure that is immediate and cost effective."

The court would only be able to consider certain types of offenders for electronic monitoring. Green said his idea of someone who would be eligible to wear an ankle transmitter would be an offender who has committed a misdemeanor but has no history of violence, has a stable family, is not a substance abuser, has no prior convictions, and has a stable job.

"I think this would be perfect for 1st offense DWI's." Green said. "With too many offenders, the punishment isn't immediate, and I think that's important. People are scheduling jail time when its convenient, then taking vacation time to go serve out their sentence. If we can get those people who are in jail for the least serious crimes to wear a monitor, then it makes room for the real bad guys."

Green said the bill will be worked on by the House Judiciary Committee during the legislative interim.

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