CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; PLACEMENT

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how cost savings will be calculated or verified, leaving this aspect uncertain.

Prison Placement and Cost Savings

This act gives the commissioner of corrections more power to decide where prisoners are housed, including out-of-state facilities, and requires reporting on cost savings.

What This Bill Does

• Gives the commissioner of corrections the ability to investigate ways to reduce housing costs for prisoners by consolidating existing correctional facilities or placing prisoners in out-of-state facilities.
• Requires that prisoners who will be in prison for more than seven years and are placed out-of-state must be housed separately from non-resident prisoners.
• Requires the Department of Corrections to estimate annual cost savings from these actions and report them to the legislature.

Who It Names or Affects

• The commissioner of corrections
• Prisoners in Alaska correctional facilities
• The Department of Corrections

Terms To Know

Commissioner of Corrections

The person who is in charge of the state's correctional system.

Out-of-state facility

A prison located in another state.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify how cost savings will be calculated or verified.
• The bill does not provide details on the conditions of out-of-state facilities where prisoners may be placed.
• It is unclear if there are any limits to the commissioner's authority in placing prisoners outside the state.

Official Summary Text

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; PLACEMENT
An Act relating to correctional facilities; relating to the authority of the commissioner of corrections to designate the placement of prisoners; and requiring the Department of Corrections to estimate and report certain cost savings.

Current Bill Text

HB0172a -1- HB 172
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0834\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 172

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS

Introduced: 4/3/25
Referred: State Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to correctional facilities; relating to the au thority of the commissioner 1
of corrections to designate the placement of prisoners; and req uiring the Department of 2
Corrections to estimate and report certain cost savings." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 33.30.061 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 5
(e) The commissioner may investig ate and take action to reduce the cost of 6
housing prisoners by 7
(1) consolidating existing facilities; 8
(2) designating placement of a prisoner at an out-of-state facility. 9
(f) If a prisoner's remaining term of imprisonment exceeds seven years and the 10
commissioner designates placement at an out-of-state facility under (e) of this section, 11
the commissioner shall ensure the prisoner is housed exclusivel y apart from prisoners 12
who are not residents of this state. 13
(g) The department shall annuall y estimate the cost savings re sulting from the 14
34-LS0834\A
HB 172 -2- HB0172a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

actions taken under (e) of this section and include the cost sa vings estimate as part of 1
the information compiled and submitted by the department under AS 37.07.050. The 2
legislature may appropriate an amount equal to the annual cost savings estimate for 3
education purposes. 4