News from The Senate Majority

Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
716 West 4th Avenue, Suite 510
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907/258-8184
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

"No Frills Prison Act" Becomes Law

Provides Incentive To Be Crime-Free

For Immediate Release: May 30, 1997 Contact: Senator Dave Donley at 907/258-8181

Anchorage -- Senator Dave Donley’s "No Frills Prison Act" was signed into law Thursday sending a strong crime-deterent message to criminals -- if you’re convicted of a crime in Alaska, you are not going to enjoy your time in our prisons.

Senate Bill 1 limits personal possessions and activities of prisoners in Alaskan correctional facilities, reduces state medical expenses for prisoners and provides greater vocational training opportunities for prisoners.

"The public, not only in Alaska but nationwide, has been asking for this kind of prison reform for a long time," said Senator Donley (R-Anchorage). "I feel confident this law will make people think twice before committing a crime in Alaska."

Donley explained that Senate Bill 1 is a well reasoned step toward implementing the new state constitutional language adopted by voters in 1994 which added "community condemnation", "victim rights", and "victim restitution" as standards for prison administration in Alaska.

The bill seeks to fulfill these new mandates by removing or prohibiting certain amenities from Alaska's prisons including premium cable television, tobacco use, cassette tape players, weightlifting equipment and possession of pornographic materials.

This year's "No Frills Prison Bill" added many new provisions to last year's version which ran short of time on the last day of session. These new provisions include:

• instituting a new cost saving provision by instituting a fee for use of electrical utilities;
• giving the Department of Corrections a two-year window of time to gradually implement the "no frills" portion of the bill;
• placing a total ban on use of tobacco products;
• providing clear guidelines on when inmates may file lawsuits in an effort to curtail "recreational litigation";
• requiring the Commissioner of Corrections to establish programs that protect the victims of crimes committed by prisoners.

Donley noted that "Now that Alaskans can be certain our correctional facilities are more cost effective and not overly comfortable, I believe there will be public support for building the additional prison facilities the state so badly needs."

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