This is being written to address the irresponsibility that is occurring within the Alaska Department of Corrections, (ADOC) and similar agencies all over the country. Since 1995 the ADOC has been transferring their prisoners out of State to a private facility in the state of Arizona for warehousing through contract with Corrections Corporations of America. In the Alaska State Constitution, a prisoner is entitled to rehabilitation, but in transferring prisoners to the private facility ADOC has neglected to provide adequate programming and training for the prisoners to prepare for re-entry back into society. This creates a person who is ill prepared to function in society and at least no better able than the day they walked through the doors of the ADOC.
The system was originally formatted and designed to provide the opportunity to see the errors of their ways, work to heal, learn alternatives to maladaptive behaviors, and prevent future criminal conduct upon release to those that had fallen short of perfect. Alaska has one of the highest rates of recidivism in the country, and about 70% of the felons are back on the streets within 2-5 years with no more than the un-addressed addictions they had upon commitment to the ADOC and diminished circumstances from their former free world lives. For prisoners that receive a lengthy sentence the ramifications of the systems irresponsibility to society and the prisoner are paramount. There are a great many men, women, and an alarming number of children who are serving lengthy prison sentences, that after they have paid the price for their transgressions will be released back into society without adequate means of survival (support group, treatment, housing, employment, etc.). These people are climbing a mountain ill equipped to compete because they have no current work history, or in the case of a juvenile offender no experience in the work force, making employment extremely difficult.
Society has continued to grow with sophisticated technology, and vocational training in the work place making most of these human beings even less qualified to compete upon release. I could go on with many scenarios but I feel the general message has been conveyed. The state allots millions of dollars for rehabilitative programs, and I can tell you from personal knowledge this funding has to be being diverted elsewhere, because it sure is not passed on to the prisoners it is designed to benefit. Alaska has one of the highest rates of drug and alcohol related offenses per capita in the nation, yet the ADOC has cut 90% of the programs to address the problems of addiction in a setting of incarceration. Alaska has one of the highest rates of sex related offenses in the country, yet they cut the only program in the ADOC to treat these offenders.
The State of Alaska parole board doesn’t acknowledge the programs implemented to treat the prisoners within the prison system. The state has an obligation to the community and the prisoner to protect and serve under the Alaska State Constitution, and at this time the State is receiving an F on their report card. The community at large needs to start using their powers of question and concern to address the issues shared here. Talk to the public servants you have elected to political office to speak on your behalf. They are paid a very generous salary to answer, or find the answers to your issues of concern.
The system has the ability to serve those it is to protect, and those warded to its care. There are supposed to be stages of transition for prisoners from incarceration to freedom to prepare them for re-entry into society, and yet the State of Alaska is releasing long term prisoners straight to the streets without suitable housing, support group contacts, and financial stability.
The probation officers that are employed to offer prisoners avenues of focus for preparation for release are asking ADOC to release prisoners to homeless shelters. The halfway houses and treatment centers that were designed for this purpose are being utilized for misdemeanants. Many of these less serious offenses could be handled through fines, community service, and the ankle monitor system that was implemented for this purpose.
The lengthening of sentences does nothing to address the issues that have been shared here. As a matter of fact this is the reason Alaska is having such a major problem with prison overcrowding, in turn requiring greater allocations of state dollars.
Society, if a person learns nothing more than what they have learned, tried, and failed at, what will be the outcome of their attempts, if they are not taught new directions? Society needs to stop asking why prisoners are being released, and start asking why they are being released ill prepared to successfully re-enter their communities.
John Williams CCA/FCC 9-8-05