Prisoner Reform and Public Safety in Alaska
PRPSA Report
This website is serviced on a volunteer basis. We apologize for inconveniences while it is still under construction. The following is the result of several years of research, much thought, and many years of personal experience. References to the studies and statistical compilations that were accessed will be added very soon. This is meant to be a springboard for interested parties to share in this effort, to contribute ideas and insight, and perhaps we can build a better society together.
PART 1
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
I.CRIME: WHO IT AFFECTS AND WHY
A. CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PROMOTE CRIME AND DRUG USE
B. THE COST OF CRIME
C. THE STAKEHOLDERS
1. The Public
2. The Legislature
3. Staff
4. Inmates
II.INCARCERATION: HOW 800 YEARS OF HISTORY GOT US HERE
A. THE HISTORY OF INCARCERATION
B. MODERN METHODS AND RESULTS
1. The Stick of Punishment
2. The Carrot of Reform
3. Bad Environment, Bad Results
4. National Comparisons and Results
5. International Comparisons and Results
C. JUDEO-CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES AND TOUGH ON CRIME
III. METHOD FAILURE: FINDING A NEW PATH
A.WAREHOUSING VS REFORM
B. INCARCERATION WITH PURPOSE
C. PROMOTING GOOD BEHAVIOR
D. CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF GOOD TIME
E. THE VALUE OF PROGRAMMING
F. LIMITATIONS OF EFFECT
IV. PRISONER PSYCHOLOGY & THE AMERICAN PRISONERS’
EXPERIENCE
A.PRISON CULTURE
1. The Convict “Code”
2. Promotion of Violence
a. Criminal Expectations
b. Staff Promotion of Violent Conflict Resolution
3. Gangs
4. Prison Economy 101
a. The ‘Hustle”
b. Protection Rackets
c. Drugs
d. Tattooing
e. Sex
B. PRISON STRESS FACTORS
C. CONSTANT DANGER AND PERSISTANT INSECURITY
1. Victimization
a. Targeting the ‘weak’
b. Strongarming
c. Rape
2. Prisoner Survival Tactics
a. Defensive Victimization
b. Using Extreme Violence to Avoid Victimization
c. Survival as a Victim
D. LABELING AND NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
PART 2
DEALING WITH CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR BEFORE PRISON
V. EARLY INTERVENTION
A. JUVENILE JUSTICE
1. History of Juvenile Justice
2. The Challenges of Childhood
3. Mental Immaturity
4. Teaching Children to Change
5. Restoration, not Retribution
B. PREVENTATIVE JUSTICE AND ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS
1. How to prevent rather than respond to crime
2. What alternative sanctions mean
3. Most bang for the buck: how Alternative sanctions often
are more effective and cheaper
C.IMPLEMENTATION OF SB91: LINKING TO FURTHER REFORM
VI. YOUNG ADULTS: CAUGHT IN TRANSITION
A. PARTIAL MATURITY
1. Analytical Capability
2. Immature Impulse Control
3. Difficulty Comprehending Consequences
B.DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSITION
C.GRADUATED RESPONSE
D.EFFECTIVE ANSWERS TO YOUNG ADULT CRIME WITHOUT
CREATING CAREER CRIMINALS
VII. JUSTICE THAT GIVES BACK AND BUILDS UP OUR COMMUNITIES
A. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
1. What Restorative Justice Means
2. How to Apply it Effectively
3. Challenges to Full Implementation
B. COMMUNITY JUSTICE
1. Building on Restorative Justice
2. Making the Community Safer
3. Creating a Stronger Community
PART 3
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
VIII. THE PENALTY OF PRISON
A. LOST FREEDOM
B. PRISON IS THE PENALTY
C. THE PRISON EXPERIENCE:BRUTALITY CONDONED
D. WHAT PRISON REALLY TEACHES
IX.PRISONER RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES IN ADOC: A SHIFTING
LANDSCAPE
A. CLEARY(1990)
1. The Alaska Prison Litigation Reform Act (1999)
2. Cleary as it stands now (2017)
B. BASIC RIGHTS
C. PRIVILEGES
D. DENIAL OF RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
1. Threat to Security: An abused term
2. Group Punishment: Punishing the majority for the deeds of the
minority
E. RESOLVING THE ISSUE
1. Reasonable Restrictions
2. In consideration of reform
3. Legal recourse
4. Statute not policy
F. DEALING WITH SYSTEM ABUSE
X. IMPACT OF FAMILY ON PRISONER REHABILITATION
A. FAMILIES OF INCARCERATED PERSONS AND ADOC
B. VISITATION: A PATH TO AVOIDING BROKEN HOMES
C. CARE PACKAGES
D. COMMUNICATION
1. Telephone
2. Email
3. Mail
4. Publications
5. Photos
6. Sexually suggestive mail
E. HOW TO FACILITATE STRONG FAMILY BONDS AND MAINTAIN
SECURITY
XI. ALASKAN CULTURE
A. IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE TO AVOIDING CRIME
B. PROVIDING FOR THE CULTURAL DISTINCTIONS OF ALASKANS
XII. FINANCIAL
A. GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT WHILE INCARCERATED
1. Prison Industries: A Missing Budgetary Answer
a. Work release from prison
2. Hobbycrafts
3. Tattooing
4. Apprenticeship
B. PRE-RELEASE FINANCIAL SECURITY
1. Dividends: Promoting payment, good behavior, and successful
reentry
2. Business ownership
3. Checking and savings account
4. Forced savings
5. Steps to promoting change through prisoner employment and
Financial security
XIII. THE VALUE OF FAITH
A. FAITH IN ADOC
B. EFFECTS OF FAITH ON THE INCARCERATED
C. FAITHS REPRESENTED AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT
D. RLUIPA:LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS AND EQUAL ACCESS
E. RELIGIOUS PROPERTY STANDARDS
F. RELIGIOUS MATRIXES
G. CLERGY
H. FACILITATING CHANGE THROUGH FAITH
I. HOLY DAYS
J. THE CHAPLAINCY
XIV. INMATE PROPERTY AND SERVICES
A. INMATE PROPERTY
1. Potential positive property impact
2. The C.A.R.R.O.T. system
3. Vendors
4. Special packages
5. Non-allowed property
6. Allowed property
7. Restricted/Secure Mods
8. Searches
a. Searches of religious items
9. Religious matrixes and property
10. Publications and mail
a. Hardcovers
b. Photographs
c. Publications
d. Miller and Mauro
e. Unintended effects
f. A balanced solution
11. Property based on sentence length
12. No Frills Bill
B. FOOD SERVICE
C. MEDICAL TREATMENT
D. THE CARROT AND THE STICK: USING PRIVILEGES AND SANCTIONS
TO REFORM PRISONERS WITHOUT PAYING A FORTUNE
XV. EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT DESIGN ON INMATE ACTIONS
A. ‘HARD’ VS ‘SOFT’ DESIGN
B. VISUAL CUES
C. JUST INCARCERATION
PART 4
SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION AND TRANSITION
XVI. PROGRAMMING
A. PROGRAMMING IN ADOC
B. REPROGRAMMING THE INCARCERATED
1. Empathy: How Learn to ‘feel’ anothers’ pain lower criminal
Conduct
C. EXISTING PROGRAMMING AND ITS IMPACT
1. RSAT
2. LSAT
3. TLC
4. Kaiross
5. Alpha Reentry Program
6. Multi-Faith Program
7. Educational Department
8. Mental Health Department
D. FAITH AND PROGRAMMING
E. HOBBIES
F.VOCATIONAL TRAINING
G.ENHANCING ADOC PROGRAMS
1. Expanded Program Recognition
2. Expand Program Scope
3. Promoting Willing Participation and Real Change
a. Additional privileges
b. Discretionary parole
c. Good time
4. Use of Incentives: Making Prison One Big Low Cost Program
5. Reformative Management Plans
6. Reformative Transformation Communities
7. Harnessing the Faith Community
8. Other Types of Behavioral Mods
a. Honor mods
b. Long term mods
c. Mental health mods
9. The Budgetary Answer
10. ‘Lifers” and Long Term Sentences
11. Mediation Teams
12. The Unrepentant.
H.PROFOUND RISKS IF LEFT UNDONE
XVII. MAINTAINING CHANGE POST-RELEASE
A. REENTRY IN ALASKA
B. PROBATION AND PAROLE
1. Recidivism
2. Successful
3. Good time.
4. Discretionary parole
5. Mandatory minimums
6. Incentives
C. CHALLENGES OF CULTURE SHOCK
D. LINKING POST-RELEASE TO PRISON PROGRAMMING
E. A REAL CHANGE OF SUCCESS
1. Case management
2. Reentry fund
PART 5
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PRISON SYSTEM
XVIII. PRISON POPULATION GROWTH
A. GROWTH SINCE 1980
B. OVERCROWDING
C. LIMITING OR REDUCING POPULATION GROWTH
D. PRIVATE PRISONS
1. Drawbacks
2. Advantages
3. A balanced approach
XIX.THE UNRECOGNIZED EFFECT OF STAFF ON INMATES
A. POSITIVE EFFECT OF GOOD STAFF ROLE MODELS
B. A SOMETIMES NEGATIVE ROLE MODEL
1. Lack of professionalism
2. Corruption: Perceived cronyism, racism, and nepotism
3. Ignoring law and policy: reinforcing criminal attitudes
4. Failure to Perform Duties: Instilling a poor work ethic
5. Shifting policy interpretation
6. Suppression of good staff
7. Lack of accountability
C.NEED FOR OVERSIGHT
XX. EFFECTIVE STAFF PRACTICE
A.THE NEW GENERATION PHILOSOPHY: 30 YEARS LATER
B. DETRIMENTAL METHODS OF INMATE MANAGEMENT
C. PROVEN POSITIVE LONG TERM STRATEGIES FOR INMATE
MANAGEMENT
D. EFFECTIVE STAFF TRAINING
1. Use of force
2. Responsibility to promote positive change
3. Value of professionalism
4. Taking care of those with mental health issues
5. Recognition of real threats to security
6. Basic college level criminal psychology
7. Suggested Staff Reading Materials
E. REFORMATIVE POLICY
F. REMOVING STAFF INFIGHTLING THROUGH PRACTICAL DISCUSSION
AND PRACTICE
F. PROVIDING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF GOOD STAFF
XXI. PRACTICAL SYSTEM AND FACILTY DESIGN
A. DEDICATION TO PRISONER REFORMATION
B. OPTIMAL CORRECTIONAL DESIGN
C. EFFECTIVE USE OF EXISTING FACILITIES
D. NECESSARY FACILITY DESIGN
E. ADDRESSING BASIC HUMAN PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIGGERS IN THE CORRECTIONAL SETTING
F. PRACTICAL CORRECTIONAL AND REFORMATIVE POLICY
G. EFFECTIVE DATA GATHERING AND RESULTS-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY
H. AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
XXII. IMPROVING EFFICIENCY, PROGRAMMING AND SECURITY
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
A. USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE SECURITY
1. Cameras
2. Body Cams
3. Computers
4. Scanners
5. Dogs
6. Secure Wifi
7. Review of practices
B. USE OF TECHNOLOGY BY INMATES: EFFICIENT AND POSITIVE
ADVANTAGES
1. MP3
2. TV
3. Game systems
4. Tablet
5. Email
6. Computers
7. Networks
8. Intranet
9. WiFi
10. Internet
11. Educational games
12. Scanning photos
13. Recording devices
14. Social media
C. STAFF TECHNICAL TRAINING
1. Basic use of technology
2. Basic understanding of how to secure technology
3. How to identify real threats from technology: Removing ADOC’s fear
of technology.
PART 6
MOVING FORWARD
XXIII.DIFFICULTIES IN AND FOR ADOC
A. FOR INMATES
1. Lack of programming
2. Few real incentives
3. Damage of family relationships
4. Perceived lack of staff fairness and professionalism
B.FOR STAFF: INCREASED DUTIES, DECREASED FUNDING
XXIV. WHY WE NEED TO REFORM OUR PRISONS
A. REDUCED PRISON POPULATION
B. LONG-TERM BUDGETARY SAVINGS
C. CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY
D. INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY
E. DECREASED JUVENILE CRIME
XXV. IMPLEMENTATION.