Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Passes Fort Greely Prison Bill

Measure Authorizes State to Contract with Municipalities for Prison Services

For Immediate Release: March 6, 1998 Contact: Rep. Eldon Mulder at (907 ) 465-2647.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives today passed House Bill 53, which encourages and authorizes the Department of Corrections to enter into a contract with the City of Delta Junction to use the deactivated Fort Greely facilities for a prison. It also authorizes the Department to enter into a contract with the Municipality of Anchorage to replace the antiquated Sixth Avenue Jail. The approval vote was 30-5.

"The conversion of Fort Greely into a prison will preserve the economic life of the Delta region as well as save U.S. taxpayers almost $50 million dollars in demolition costs," said Representative Eldon Mulder (R-Anchorage), the measure's sponsor. "It will also provide desperately needed prison beds so we can return our prisoners from Arizona and not only keep the money we currently spend in Arizona in Alaska but provide Alaskan jobs as well," Mulder said.

HB 53 authorizes municipalities to provide or enter into agreements to provide prison services. It also requires that any lease with the City of Delta Junction be for a minimum of 800 beds and a minimum of 20 years. It sets a maximum capital cost of $50 million for the Sixth Avenue Jail replacement and provides for 20 a year lease for the facility.

"Alaska's prisons are overcrowded and the problem is growing," said Rep. Mulder. "This bill will enable us to address this problem. The Delta Prison alone will improve Alaska's economy by millions of dollars a year, providing both construction jobs and long term correctional jobs, and reducing the per-day cost of incarceration," Mulder said.

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Broadcasters note: Actuality from Rep. Mulder available at 1-800-478-6540.
= Eldon Mulder, 42 K