News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Bill Subjects Correctional Officers to Lie-Detecting Tests

For Immediate Release: April 8, 1998 Contact: Senator Jerry Ward, at (907) 465-4940.

Juneau – The Senate Wednesday unanimously passed legislation adding correctional officers to the list of public employees who can be administered polygraph or other lie-detecting tests. Senate Bill 244, sponsored by Senator Jerry Ward (R-Anchorage/Kenai), introduced this safety measure to better protect the State of Alaska and it’s citizens.

"Polygraph testing is a proven method of screening employees for positions, which require high security and safety," said Ward. "We owe it to Alaskans to ensure that those people we entrust with the containment and rehabilitation of our criminals show the character and integrity to match up to the responsibility."

Presently, only police officers and certain transportation officers are subject to polygraph testing. Correctional officers are in great positions of power and many are armed like other law enforcement officers.

"Because the issue of safety to the public, inmates and other correctional employees is at hand, polygraph testing is as important for correctional officers as it is for other law enforcement personnel," Ward said.

The Public Safety Employee Association, representing Alaska correctional officers, supports SB 244 as a self-policing mechanism to help ensure the safety of Alaskans.

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= Jerry Ward, 40 K