I'm going to call this meeting of the house finance department of corrections subcommittee
to order at 902 on Thursday, February 12th, 2026.
I am going remind everyone to mute their cell phones.
Present today are representatives Hymn Schute, representatives Mere, representative Hall,
representative Holland, Representative St. Clair, and representative Garrett Nelson and
And Jude Augustine, who is our LIO moderator for today.
Today, Deputy Commissioner April Wilkerson and Administrative Services Director Kevin Worley will present DOC's FY27 budget request.
They have some lifelines in the room, Zane Neiswanger, Director of Institutions, Travis Welch,
Director Health and Rehabilitation Services, and Dusty DeMont, director of pretrial probation and parole.
And we also have lifelines who are online and can be called on Jake Whitecroft,
who's Deputy Commissioner, Jeff Edwards, Executive Director of the Pro Board.
Representative Prox is with us.
The presentation was delivered to your offices by my staff and sent by email.
For those watching remotely, the presentation can be found under today's meeting documents on basis.
Ms. Wilkerson and Mr. Worley, please come to the table, introduce yourselves, and begin your presentation.
Good morning for the record. My name is April Wilkerson Deputy Commissioner Department of Corrections
Kevin Worley director of administrative services
Thank you for
Having us today, we are going to go over a department overview with the FY 27 budget starting on slide two
This is the slide represents the overall structure within the Department of Corrections
It does reflect the four divisions within
The department that make up the over all budget and then we also have the parole board
Which is housed within The Department Of Corrections, but really is
associated with
within the governor's office.
The Board of Pearl is housed
budgetarily and administratively within
the department, but it really is autonomous
within its actions.
The executive director and his staff point
directly to a board and the five members
of the boards are appointed by the Governor
and confirmed by their legislature.
We have, this is the same slide from
On Tuesday, we have updated it to reflect that FY27 increase.
There are an additional 12 positions within this budget that are being transferred.
The Director Worley will go over later in the presentation with an overall budget ask in
the FY 27 budget of $500,336,000.
That budget is allocated out based on the four divisions.
Thank you for being here today through the chair.
Can you repeat, did you just say there's something about additional vacant positions?
Sorry.
Through the chair to representative allert
The second bullet on this slide we have in the FY 27 budget
2127 permanent full-time positions and that's an increase of 12 positions over the fy 26 number of budgeted positions
May I but let me do already why don't you give the punch those are the positions who are being transferred back?
So there's not a cost
It's a
Why don't you just address that right now instead of going to growth in positions? Absolutely
To the chair. Thank you. I've representative allerd. We have a transfer
We're receiving eight payroll positions from Division of Admin, Department of Administration,
as well as four positions for shared services.
The funding for those positions were already in our budget, it was, we were being billed
by the Department Of Administration for the functions, and so we are one of the few agencies
that are receiving those services and will be able to process our own payroll and our
own financial transactions.
Okay, go ahead.
On slide four, this is a historical framework that we have updated over the years, and
it really is intended to give just a glance of the Department of Corrections.
The Alaska is one of seven unified correctional systems.
fiscal year 25, the Department of Corrections, booked into our custody just under 26,000 individuals
of which just over 16, 000 were unique individuals.
One of the things that we do like to note is that
we experience where individuals are booked into the system on a repeated basis.
We have identified that one individual was booked in to our system over 94 times,
which equates to more than one remain per week.
So we are constantly shuffling that population through.
The other thing on this slide that we really wanted to point out is the very last check box.
And we have, as of January 1st, there were 1,450 individuals that had been released from custody onto the department's pre-trial supervision program.
And if you look at the end of that, over 70% of those individuals were on some type of electronic monitoring device.
We had a member who had question about it last year, but if you go back up to the Title 47 bookings
and just briefly explain that, what those are, and I know that I think it was two years ago,
you were standing up a unit so that you had some beds as well as API and tell us if those
Thank you to the chair, those individuals, that 446.
Those individuals are Title 47's, which are individuals that are held within a DOC facility with no criminal charges.
They are within our custody because of mental health issues pending transfer to API.
Or they are on a alcohol unsafe to be.
to themselves or the public to be released.
There are an additional number of individuals
that are in our custody that criminal charges are dropped,
however they are placed under the custody
of family and community services, but.
due to no space within API, they are maintained and held within the Department of Corrections.
I would like to offer, we do have Director Welch, who can talk not only of those individuals but
also of the restorative program, the Restorative Justice Jail Restoration Program that we maintain
Members do you want to hear that now or should we proceed with the summary?
I just had when we were leaving the last meeting someone asked me about title 47 holds
So I thought would just address it right then. Would you like to have them talk about a little more now representative Prox?
Representative aller just shaking her head. Yes, so
Good morning, my name is Travis Welch
To the chair, my name is Travis Welch.
I'm the Director of Health and Rehabilitation Services
for the Alaska Department of Corrections.
I've been with the department for about two years.
My background is largely in the criminal justice area
to include being the Chief of Police,
the Norsoboro Police Department,
and living in Uti Gaagvik for 10 years,
so when we talk about Title 47s,
the majority of the Title 40s that we see
within our facilities are those individuals
who were charged with a crime.
They have served their sentence,
of the reasons they are being released by the court, but they're still a threat to themselves or
others. So they still have a mental health acuity to where it's not safe to release them
back into the community. At that time, we petition the Court for a Title 47 hold,
and they many times sit with us and wait for bed to open up at API. Once that bed's open,
the D.C. Wilkerson mentioned. Those are individuals who are charged with a crime, but they are
not competent to stand trial. And under Title 12, there's a process for those people to
be, to become competent, be restored to where they can stand, trial, or they're found incompetent,
not able to be restored, and then the charges are dropped. We do have a partnership with
going through that process there actually under the care or remanded so to say to the
care and custody of the commissioner of The Department of Family and Community Services.
What we see is some of these individuals do come over to DOC while they wait for a restoration
bed to open up at API. They have 10 beds at the API for this purpose and we can see anywhere from
largely in our sub-acute units waiting for a bed at API to be restored.
We also have a program, a partnership with API,
where we have up to 10 beds available on our Lima mod,
which is our Sub-Acute Unit at ACC,
the Anchorage Correctional Complex,
where API's team,
their people will come over and provide that restorative service to those individuals,
with the hopes for them being restored and then being able to-
to go forward through the criminal court process.
That Lima mod, though, also serves as a subacute unit for ACC.
And so oftentimes, we're not only trying to meet the needs of API,
but we have our own population who desperately needs these services as well.
So we are providing those sub-acutes services for our population
aswell as allowing beds for API to come in and provide that service as Well.
So Mr. Wells, before I go to my members who are going to have questions,
we have the Title 47 booking numbers at 446.
Are the title 12 numbers reflected in here, anywhere?
Great question.
And through the chair, this is Travis, again, Travis Welch,
Director of HARS.
So when somebody is Title 12 and they're
It was under legislation. I want to say the past last year a couple years ago to where the Department of Law under for certain crimes
must file for an order for those individuals to
Undergo an assessment to determine whether or not they should be involuntarily committed to API
So for these individuals that were not able to just release they are converted over to Title 47 so that we can continue to hold them
Representative Crocs and then Allard
him. Yes, thank you. I'm trying to think how to ask the question. So there are, there
are people in the corrections system waiting to be restored to competency to stand trial
One of the issues when we were discussing that bill a couple of years ago was the time it takes to do that often exceeding what would be called the right to a speedy trial, I think.
And that was the case that wound up in the Anchorage Library.
And I guess the bottom line is how are we doing addressing this case with the chair?
No, no. Get to the microphone.
Yes, sir. I'm sorry.
So that people can hear you.
Yes. Through the Chair.
How are doing at reducing the time that it takes to restore someone
to competency so that they can stand trial?
Through the chair to represent a deprax
So that's probably a question better answered by API's team as far in the Department of law as
far as what that is looking like what we are seeing is people typically staying with us or
Awaiting up to 90 days or so
Before they are able to get either a bed in that 10 bed unit at API or engage in our
Partnership with API in
Jail-based restoration program. Those are the 10 beds that I mentioned on the Lima mod
Correct yes in in your correct so there is a an amount of time that the state has for those individuals to be restored
And it depends on whether it's a misdemeanor charge or a felony charge as far as what those timelines look like
All right the lima mod that is in the correction system not
in the correction system building, not API's building.
Through the chair, that is correct.
And then follow up.
Is API sending people over to the Lima mod?
I think you call that for the purpose of restoring them
to competency.
Through The Chair, yes, the arts.
It's API staff who perform that function.
OK.
But they're tracking the time and the success rate
and all that.
through the chair, yes.
And you're essentially providing a bed?
Through the Chair, correct. We're housing.
We are providing the bed, we're providing services or security services,
and we of course provide medical services to those in our care custody.
Okay. And then final follow-up on that for me.
If they're not able to be restored to competency,
then we go through, the Department of Law now is required to have an involuntary commitment
Under title 47
Through the chair
Correct for certain crimes, which I don't have the list in front of me
They're more serious spelling crimes against a person largely
And through the Chair are they then held at the correction Center?
Through The Chair
Yes, they'll be held there until the bed opens up at API and that whole legal process
Happens for them to be transferred over
Okay
Thank you and through the chair.
So the questions I have are,
it's linked to the one main question.
So, the first one would be the daily cost.
So when you're housing the title 40,
what did I can't see, title 47,
the Daily costs for those individuals if it is different,
but you are going to have to wait
until I get that back in my ear so I could hear you.
And then, could you get us the list of the...
certain crimes that you said you just didn't have the list on you, and then not only the daily
costs, but the shortest amount of time that they stay in that particular unit, then the average
amount in time and longest. Okay, hold on a minute. Sorry.
Okay, go. I forgot my hearing aids, I'm sorry.
Due to the chair, two rep, thank you for those questions.
I can get you that list, of course.
Now, when we talk about the daily rate,
I want to say that's around $223 per day.
That's our average daily, right?
May I kind of engage a little?
Do you have a daily rate that is separate by unit or is it just daily-rate for all facilities averaged out?
Through the chair to represent a valor. We just have one standard daily, rate
We don't separate buy unit by facility or any
Specialty say it again. It is two hundred and twenty three dollars and seventy cents per inmate per day
But and I'll just use the example as opposed to this unit which has some
care costs that are being borne by API because they're bringing in the
psychiatrist and the medication. But an inmate who is in our unit with
dialysis care different, right? But their average daily care cost is
223. We don't add in on top, you're an expensive inmate, because we're
sending you to dialsis three times a week. Okay. So then if you have a
How high do you go?
I mean, if API is carrying the burden, I'm still kind of curious.
Through the chair to rep-award.
So, the time that somebody will sit with us under Title 47 is, it varies quite a bit.
Okay.
We can have somebody for hours, we can somebody days,
we could have someone for weeks.
It really is dependent upon the bed space at API.
and how quickly they can get people into their beds.
It also depends on if they're contesting the order from the court
because they have that option as well and sometimes they do
choose to contest the Order which then puts that person into that legal
process where we're waiting to see what the
court's determination is. Can it be longer than a month?
Through the chair it can be. Okay.
Representative hymeshoot. Thank you a lot of my questions have been answered, but I did want to know on the title 47 bookings
For the purposes of this slide are you talking about DOC facilities or could this include community jails?
I'm through the chair to represent a hymn shoot. This is any booking into our system,
but it is in the state facilities
We did not count capture or account in those in that community jail.
Thank You
Representative Holland.
I have a general question.
I'll have to slide.
Please use the microphone.
Great.
We've got a member.
Thank you.
I've had a General question for the slide if we're done with the more specific title
to 47 discussion.
Go ahead.
Great, I want to follow up please through the Chair on my question from the last session,
looking for some trend information.
We have heard that crime rates have been going down.
I would like to think that that means that the Department of Corrections number of inmates
perhaps it's not and I'm wondering if you have and today or maybe you can follow up with what are
the trend rates on these numbers over the last few years and how does that correlate to what
we're seeing in terms of what's been reported as a reduction in crime in our communities and
I am trying to ultimately match that up the budget of whats happening between what we hear about crime
Going down and our department corrections budget going up
Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's not. I'm just the trend rates would be really helpful
Through the chair to representative Holland. We are working on that response and we plan to get it to you before next week
We do have our offender profile that has been published and is online and then we planned to provide that to the committee. Thank you
All right, let's go ahead
Moving on to slide five, we have highlighted some of our major accomplishments that were
achieved during calendar year 2025.
The one item that I would like to note is the first bullet.
The department was able to complete and finalize and distribute a study that was requested by the legislature.
And it was related to the over-representation of the incarcerated native population.
That report was submitted last month and we are excited to partner with the Alaska Federation of Natives and
the completion of this report.
DOC took a very hands off approach on this and we allowed the AFN to really kind of dive
in and lead the charge on completing that study on behalf of the legislature.
the result of the study that you're talking about now?
Through the chair to Representative Prox, no it's not.
That is our offender profile that the department publishes on an annual basis.
We can get you the link to the Study that was submitted and provided to
the legislature.
Okay, so the offender program was sent out by my office to all of you yesterday
in response to some of those questions from Representative Holland.
Go ahead Representative prox.
Yes, thank you.
It is also on basis
this
Confirmed
Native population. Oh, excuse me
Is overrepresented they didn't go into why did we
Does this next study why and what can be done about it?
Through the chair to representative Prox that is what AFN was working to identify is is the why in and
What within the community can help?
divert some of that and what would be needed,
whether it's diversion programs or even programs
in the beginning to help avoid
the criminal justice system and its totality.
So that is all.
The report not only dives into the data part of it,
and looking at corrections as well as law enforcement data,
but it also goes into some recommendations
that have been outlined as a request for that study.
And through the chair, when did you say that study will be available?
Through the Chair to Representative Prox, it's available now and online.
We can get that link to the committee and get a copy of that report.
Okay, thank you.
Go ahead and proceed.
One of the other bullets that I wanted to point out on here is Alaska was one of three
states that was selected to participate in a training program that
was put on by the National Institute of Corrections.
train our staff to do staffing analysis. We selected the Anchorage complex, so
there were three, five individuals, there
were five of us that participated in the training, to really identify and do a
thorough staffing analyses.
to identify what is appropriate staffing levels to ensure the safety and security
of the facility. We hope to continue this training program to get all of our facilities and our
managers within the institution's train. One of recommendations through the NIC
this federal entity is we really need to look at staffing analysis on an annual basis,
ensuring that our shift really factor, leave utilization, training, security measures are
being addressed. As duties change, as increased activity happens within the department or within
the facilities, it's really essential to ensure that we are meeting and maintaining appropriate
Um, thank you and through the chair. What are you guys doing for recruitment purposes is because it sounds like a surrogate feedback. It sounds
Like you have they could see still
So what do we do? I need to fill them so that we don't have to overtime is a lot more higher. Okay
Through the chair to Representative Allard, we look at recruitment on a regular basis.
We have open recruitments for our security staff that are open, I think.
Anybody can apply at any time. We we try really hard not to take a posting down
We always have an active recruitment for our security staff
We attend events. Were putting out publications
We're working right now to try and advertise in some out-of-state facilities that are similar to Alaska to Try and get those
individuals that like like to go hunting and fishing and try to entice them into Alaska so
we are constantly looking at um trying to really focus on our our recruitment we have
successfully um over the last few years we had a process that would take anywhere from 16 weeks
to four months or longer to get somebody through the process. We have a dedicated staff that the
They're applicant and boots on the ground 9 to 12 months with a clean background.
I'm going to do a follow up.
Yes.
Thank you. And through the chair,
OMB is going get me most of them the dates and stuff.
But how many vacancies do you know offhand?
Through the Chair, our correctional officer vacancy is right.
It's pushing 12% right now, but overall we have about 310 vacant positions today.
Okay, one last follow-up.
So you have 310 vacancies, you're not giving the money back to the taxpayer.
So, your using it, no offense, but as a slush fund to run the DOC, because you are still getting money for it.
So can't you use some of that money to recruit more?
Through the chair to Representative Allard, we do.
We have a dedicated recruitment unit,
but what I would say is that just to maintain minimum staffing.
We're using that funding to cover the overtime cost,
whether it's a food service person that that position is vacant.
We are using the funding
to the security staff that come in and are now cooking meals
because we can't get a Food Person through the door.
If we are staffing profile is such that when
We have all these vacancies just to be able to maintain
minimums and keep operations flowing without having to shut the facility down.
We are using and calling in the other staff for overtime.
All right.
I know I just said one, but that kind of opened up just another question if you don't mind.
And then I'll just shut it down, thank you, Chair.
Okay.
So I'm going to ask just a couple of series.
And then just short, because I know everybody's waiting.
So we have how much is the funding that you're actually receiving for that?
So how many dollars?
And I want to know if you know the highest person, like what officer that
you have at the facility, what is their salary with their overtime?
Through the Chair to Representative Allard, we'll have to get that.
I don't have that in front of me right now.
Okay.
And then your other question was on funding.
You had stated that you had used the slush fund, and I'm sorry, but that's what I am going to call it.
You used a slosh fund to help with the overtime.
And I pretty sure that it's a couple hundred thousand for an individual with overtime and added.
I think it is between, I believe the lowest was like 200,000 and it goes up to 250 for a DOC guard, whatever.
I not sure the exact titles of them.
But how much funding are you actually, do you have in the Slush Fund?
Okay, Representative Allen, I'm going to ask you to not call it a slush fund.
It is not a Slush Fund, it is a budgetary allocation we've given them.
Now, if it was assigned to an individual and you're using it for overtime, that's certainly
not slosh fund, right?
Personnel costs that are personnel costs, they're personnel cost.
Using the term slush run somehow implies an inappropriate use of it.
It is an allocation we have given the department to use for staffing.
And we can talk about needs for cost containment, but
that needs to not be how you address it?
I'm going to respect what the chair has asked me to do, we could talk offline.
Thank you, chair.
Representative Nelson.
And then Representative Hall.
Thank You Madam Chair.
On the second point and and you may not have these numbers right now, but
the
the recognized staffing profile analysis
what is the standard or what's the accepted standard I guess of
Inmates to staff for lack of a better term versus where we stand right? Now
Through the chair to representative Nelson
The national average that's recognized is generally a one-to-four, but it really depends on the security, the makeup of the facility, so it can vary.
DOC tries to use a 1 to 5.
Follow-up. And so where are we at right now, then?
Through the chair, I think,
I would ask the director, nice longer, to also come to the table.
of our overtime is trying to achieve that one to five, but I would defer to either Deputy
Commissioner Wykoff or Director Niswonger to confirm that. Yes, please come up. Yeah.
She asked you to jump. She's your boss. Sure true.
for the record saying nice longer director of institutions for
the Department of Corrections were between the one to four and
one two five right now in our numbers now now that would be if
we were fully staffed follow up all that okay even yeah that
we're not fully staffed not counting over time where people
are feeling but just like the numbers where are we actually
at of bodies to bodies through the chair to representative
I could do some math. I have the number of inmates, and I
have a number officers, but I'd have to use my calculator real quick.
I'm fine with the follow-up.
Okay, we can follow up with this.
Yeah, thank you.
And make- okay,
and make sure when you're giving this back,
don't give us one unit.
right? I assume, right, so because not all members are going to understand that at your
high security facilities like Spring Creek, your staffing ratio is probably different
than at a minimum security facility. So make sure because we're looking and interested
the ballooning and ongoing overtime, right?
That's the nexus of where this is coming from
for every member, I believe.
So we wanna understand that if the security,
the high security facilities are adequately staffed
and it's a minimum security we want to understand
that but if, the High Security facilities
are not the driver of it and its the minimum
security.
We also need to under that and when we get
aggregate data, it's sometimes hard to help problem solve, so we're looking for
some guidance, you know, some information to
help us figure out how to not have annual
supplementals that are larger than all the other departments and that the
overtime is not continuing year after year
Have I translated your concern?
Yes, ma'am, that sounds great.
Okay.
You can provide that.
Do math later.
Yeah.
Okay, thank you.
We'll give them big math homework.
Representative Hall.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I might have missed this,
but with this profiling analysis and this training,
was that at a state expense or was
that kind of a hospice like, was it?
donated by the federal government. How did that work? Through the chair to Representative Hall,
NIC provides free training and that's why you apply and then they select. And so Alaska was
selected in this go-around. We hope to be selected again so we can do more of those.
We did focus on Anchorage Correctional Complex and only two post. So now they have the ability
to go back and do a full analysis of their facility.
it up to a director level. Follow up, Madam Chair. So that's great. No expense. What was it? Do
you think it was that stood out in the application that DOC was selected? I am going to turn around
that stood out. I think that we were the only unified state that participated in this go around.
So I don't know if that played into it. It's the first time that
we have been selected. So and it was a virtual training.
I Don't think anything really stood up. Thank you.
Does it give you any recommendations that might help us with our previous questions?
Is it giving you staffing, information and guidance to help
us get to a place where we're not having overtime in the hundreds of thousands of dollars?
To the chair, that is the goal, is really identifying
Can you have some CJTs to help out with this criminal justice technician that helps out
with some of this work that alleviates security, a commissioned officer from performing the
duties?
Is there another way to look at operations to be able to staff?
Right now we're still operating on the staffing study that was done 10, 15 years ago and we
times have changed, the population has changed. Representative Hymshar. Thank you, Chair Hannon
through the chair. I've been worried about something across all agencies, so I this in no
way is intended to target your your agency, but defined benefits ended in 2006. It's 2026.
We hope that staff stuck around for that 20 year retirement,
Some of your most experienced people retiring, is that a phenomenon that you're seeing?
Through the chair to Representative Hymn-Shoot, it's kind of ongoing.
So those that are committed are sticking around, but we are starting to see some of the longevity.
individuals after the twenty-five years, but on average when you look at the workforce profile for
line staff officers, it generally is seven to eight years before they leave state service.
I feel that we're fortunate enough to have some of those
longer-term officers to try and do the mentor,
but we we are starting to see a lot of tier four.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you and through the chair, when you say you have a seven to eight year and you kind of see them walk out
Is there's a lot of jobs that have, a high turnover
Waitressing mortgage brokers real estate agents a, lot
Industries
Is it a hard job that there is a higher turnover and people get burnt out i mean they're working in a prison
Um through, the charter representative allard absolutely
Um, it's not something that i could do
I respect our officers and those individuals that are on the floor every day, you walk in there,
just walking in and not only what they deal with but even in the conditions that they're trying to
do the best they can with the population that you're tryin' to take care of. So I would say
it is a tough job. Okay, I mean I just did a quick follow up.
because we're a short-manned and so even the incentive of that overtime pay
takes, it still, doesn't keep them,
it sounds like. Through the chair to represent a valor,
you're correct and there are officers that don't do overtime at all.
Even though their counterpart that they're on shift with is coming in every day
and has children too, so we have a mix of officers
When they get done with their 12-hour shift in their seven days, they are done
We are mandating people to sign up for over time at a few of our facilities
So
While we navigate trying to get our positions filled
Thank you chair
Representative Nelson
Yes, thank you madam chair through the chair just to go back to point one
With the partnership with the Alaska Federation of Natives
to conduct study on the Alaskan Native incarcerated
population, I wasn't born here.
My kids were, but that's not what we're talking about.
And I know that it's a report and I couldn't pull it up.
But how do you determine in partnership
with Alaska federation of natives who is considered
an Alaska native for this particular report?
Through the chair to Representative Nelson, for the Department of Corrections data that was used and that portion of it, it's self-reported.
So.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay, have one more bite.
Go ahead.
Thank You through the Chair.
Since we're talking about staffing, how do we compare to other states?
Is Alaska, I mean, is this a national issue, the 12% vacancy rate, because we keep?
I've said this before we keep pouring money into the system and we don't seem to be able to keep people and it is a really hard job
But how are other states doing with it? I'm through the chair to represent him shoot. I am glad you asked
It's how he's going to touch on it on my next slide
You want to go ahead to the next side
Other states are faced with the same challenges. It is in nationwide issue
I just a reminder that we have many key challenges
and the biggest one right now that
we are faced with is our budget.
And these are the three key priorities on slide six
that play into it.
And the number one is the recruitment
and retention of staffing.
It's a nationwide issue.
We are a downward agency.
So we follow what ever happens within law
or what law enforcement is doing,
what the public defender of the courts are doing.
And so, when we have these vacancies, it just creates a struggle.
We are looking and the commissioner participates in a correctional leaders association and
it is across the board.
They're using private contractors to come in and provide services.
They are shipping inmates out to other states.
They using the National Guard to provide security services, so I do feel that we're
hanging on maybe by our fingertips, but right now, for us in Alaska, we are doing the best
that can give them what we have.
It does come at a cost.
Representative Holland and then Prox.
Great, thank you through the chair.
One of the things that was underlying,
some of my earlier questions in this discussion we've had
is as we look at recruitment and retention,
I'm curious that has the use of overtime
become so normal?
That that is now part of the normal recruitment and the value proposition
I'm aware of some jobs where the fact that you get a lot of overtime is seen as how you recruit people for the job
And I am wondering are we getting into a vicious cycle where because we have become so dependent on overtime that now
It's known that this job gets these
tremendously attractive salaries. I'll be at hard work. But if somebody said you could get a
$200,000 a year job, but you got to put in a lot of time, there's a lotta folks that would say,
heck yes. And I'm wondering if we are successful in some way of reducing the overtime,
are we all of a sudden going to make it harder to recruit people? Because we've now kind of
that includes a bunch of overtime and so it's kind of a tangle because I'm
interested in filling his vacancies, reducing
overtime, but I am betting that if we reduced a
bunch the overtime we probably go in another circle.
Am I right or am I looking at this wrong?
Through the chaired representative Holland, I hope to find that out one day.
quite a few staff that do hold outside employment now,
that could be something they do security
or other types of jobs outside of,
with their week on week off schedule,
they're able to accommodate that.
We're very careful within our recruitment
to not promise or guarantee over time,
but we are upfront with our staffing now
that over-time may be required.
and so it's not something that we promise when people do sign up and hopefully
I don't see overtime ever going away but hopefully it absolutely can be reduced.
Representative Prox. Yes thank you through the chair.
Is there some study or some book that you've read?
That might be available to us to get a better understanding of the challenges and the options
That are available
Through the chair to representative Prox no
It
Will keep that in mind and we'll see if we can't provide the committee something. Okay. Thank you
I
Want to just go back momentarily to slide five
because you took the time to put in there a bullet that we get questions about all the
time on suicide within facilities and we kind of jumped over that and I know that you get
inquiries from us, we getting inquiries, from constituents, so just that bullet on
Thank you to the chair.
The third bullet, the department partnered with the National Commission on Corrections Health Care
to complete an assessment of all 13 of our institutions.
That assessment was intended to identify any deficiencies or shortfalls or changes that we could do to reduce the overall suicides that were occurring in custody.
That report was completed in calendar year 2025 for some more specific.
Fire sprinkler, putting a cage over the fire sprinklers
so an inmate can't tie off on those.
So it was anywhere from small little facility
reconfigurations to identifying some other areas
that are gonna be a little more cost associated with them
to make some major changes within our facilities.
we do have Dr. Ballard as well as Director Welch with us if you want to hear more or if there's any
other things. I think we're going to have some questions.
I do want ask because this the bullet conclusion says that we want
to look to reduce in custody suicides by 20 percent in the calendar year 25.
not just as a percentage, but as actual numbers, because these are Alaskans whose families have written to us.
So we want to know in total numbers.
And whether any of that ties back to a standing up, some of those Title 47 beds,
if that has been a component of reducing suicides by having specified
in facility mental health focus beds.
I'm to the chair, if you don't mind,
I would like to defer to Director Welch.
Director Welsh, jump into the tape.
Just a little quicker, set expectations.
Through the Chair, this is Travis Welsh
Director of Health Rehabilitation Services
for the Department of Corrections.
So where to begin here?
So we did complete this survey of all 13 facilities,
generated a report that gives us some areas
where we can improve.
And as Deputy Commissioner Wilkerson stated,
it's a myriad of things, right?
From large high dollar changes to the windows
in our cell doors to training for officers.
So, there is some low hanging fruit that we're looking at to be able to implement sooner and then there's some larger more complex, more expensive things that would require like a capital request.
We have a team that's going through that report and making recommendations as far as what the higher priority items are.
Your goal was to reduce calendar year 25, which we've ended by 20%.
Was that achieved and can you change it from percentages to real numbers, right?
If you had 100 inmates, that's 20 people, but I don't think we had a 100 inmate suicides.
So we want to know the numbers of suicides in last year and
was it down from the previous year by your goal of 20% through the chair.
The goal of 20 percent, this was a national program, right, with national goals.
When we look at the population within the Department of Corrections here in Alaska,
we don't experience that many completed suicides where somebody was successful.
So we did not, I can't say that we met the goal reducing by 20%.
I'd have to look at, I know online we have our in custody deaths that are online.
That gives the reason for that, that death.
So I cannot say that we reduced them by 20% as stated in this bullet point.
To the chair, we can get, will provide a response on that.
I will tell you that our efforts are continuing.
because we don't want to stop here.
Do you think that the Title 47 10 beds
that were stood up two years ago
has helped reduce suicide deaths in our facilities?
Through the chair, I would say no,
and the reason is because those are specifically
for restoration purposes.
Restoration is not mental health treatment,
so to say it's really a low bar
for competency specifically.
Okay.
Representation shoot. Thank you on that third bullet point on page 5. I just wanted to it says the finalized report and recommendation are part of an effort
Is that report? I assume that's a public document
Do the chair
Yes, it can be requested and provided I'm requesting
Thank You provide it to the committee. Okay
We were on page six. I will what's clear is we are not going to get to the 27 budget requests today
Because we have six minutes left
But we'll continue as best we can and we will need to continue that so that because we our budget subcommittee
But as we all understand it's not just numbers
We have questions in a more holistic fashion because you're not dealing with widgets and
we're just not concerned about your overtime. We want to help improve
the condition and department of corrections for all Alaskans who are there or whose loved ones
are their or who's safety in communities depend on the department being able to succeed in its
The second two driving issues within the department's budget are the continuing increases in our healthcare cost.
We continue to see a population that comes to us with chronic health issues.
And that includes dental as well as mental health issue.
And it's compounded by years of substance abuse, so it just.
The other thing to note is these individuals do not qualify for Indian health services,
VA benefits, or any other type of federal assistance once they are incarcerated in a facility.
So it is general funds that is supporting the health care cost.
The third bullet on here is just the maintenance and upkeep of our facilities.
Our facilities are aging and we are running into
a substantial number of issues where we go to fix something in that part or that item
is no longer available for that system and so we in some cases have to have special
parts configured and manufactured to be able to keep and maintain the system as operational.
I'm going to just make a decision here and I think since we haven't, you know, page
seven, slide seven starts into the dollars and cents and instead of starting with that
slide and then we'll just leave that as our starting point for the next presentation
with the budget so that we don't truncate it with one piece of data but not get through
I do believe that the commissioner wanted to make a few remarks before we leave today and I
do want to thank her backup staff who, you know, jumped up and came to answer questions that
the administrative offices, Mr. Worley and Ms. Wilkerson, thank you for doing that and having your
Yeah, thank you for for the record Jen Winkleman Commission for The Department of Corrections
My my closing comments were going to be at the end with the last couple of slides
So I appreciate the invitation up and thank You all for your time today, and I will
When we finish the numbers part, I'll kind of tie it all back together for okay for. The committee
So thank, you okay the next subcommittee meeting will not be held until a week from today
So we are not meeting on Tuesday, but we will be meeting next Thursday February 19th at 9 a.m
We will continue with that.
We are scheduled.
We'll see if we can look at the presentation.
We were going to focus on the community
and regional jails at that meeting.
So that's a lot to squeeze in in an hour,
but we do need to get the FY27 budget request
rolling through your brains.
Okay, with we are adjourned at 958.