Alaska State Legislature
News from the Senate and House Majorities

Jerry Ritter (907) 465-3804
Wendy Lindskoog (907) 465-4582
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Fort Greely Prison Bill Becomes Law

Measure Authorizes State to Contract with Municipalities for Prison Services

For Immediate Release: March 31, 1998 Contact: Rep. Eldon Mulder at (907) 465-2647 or Sen. Jerry Ward at (907 )465-4940.

Juneau -- House Bill 53 was signed into law today. HB 53 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.

"I'm very pleased that Governor Knowles has signed House Bill 53, said Representative Eldon Mulder (R-Anchorage), sponsor of HB 53. "It is clear by the Legislature's action that we are committed to this private prison concept. In our conversations, the governor acknowledged and was pleased by the efforts of the Legislature to create a basis for working together to solve our prison overcrowding problems," Mulder said.

"House Bill 53 goes a long way toward addressing the overcrowding problem in Alaska's prison system," Mulder said. "I'm pleased that the Legislature has been able to help get the state out from under the fines levied after the Cleary Decision," 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 $56 million for the Sixth Avenue Jail replacement and provides for 20 a year lease for the facility.

"I have heard from many Alaskans who have relatives incarcerated in Arizona," Mulder said. "They want their family members back in Alaska. It's been shown that this contact with family members can be extremely helpful in the rehabilitation process, which is an important aspect of our prison system that we ought to be looking at," Mulder said.

"Alaska's prisons are overcrowded and the problem is growing. This bill will enable us to address this problem, "said Speaker of the House Gail Phillips (R-Homer). "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," Phillips said.

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Broadcasters note: Actualities are available on the House Majority Line at (800) 478-6540.
= Eldon Mulder, 46 K