PRISONERS: ELECTRONIC DEVICES, ID CARDS

Enrolled HB 35
LAWS OF ALASKA

2025

Source Chapter No.
SCS CSHB 35(JUD) _______

AN ACT

Relating to the use and possession of electronic devices by pri soners; and relating to
identification cards.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

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AN ACT

Relating to the use and possession of electronic devices by pri soners; and relating to 1
identification cards. 2
_______________ 3
* Section 1. AS 33.30.015(a) is amended to read: 4
(a) The commissioner may not 5
(1) make per capita expenditures for food for prisoners in a s tate 6
correctional facility operated by the state that exceed 90 perc ent of per capita 7
expenditures for food that is av ailable to enlisted personnel i n the United States Army 8
stationed in the state; 9
(2) provide, in a state correctional facility operated by the state, 10
(A) living quarters for a prisoner into which the view is 11
obstructed; however, the commissi oner is not required to renova te a facility to 12
comply with this subparagraph if the facility is being used as a correctional 13
facility on August 27, 1997, or if the facility was already bui lt before being 14
acquired by the department; 15

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(B) equipment or facilities for publishing or broadcasting 1
material the content of which is not subject to prior approval by the department 2
as consistent with keeping order in the institution and prisoner discipline; 3
(C) cable television service other than a level of basic cable 4
television service that is available as a substitute for servic es that are broadcast 5
to the public in the community in which a correctional facility is located; 6
(3) allow a prisoner held in a state correctional facility ope rated by the 7
state to 8
(A) possess in the prisoner's cell a 9
(i) cassette tape player or recorder, [A] video cassette 10
recorder (VCR), or telephone; 11
( i i ) c o m p u t e r o r e l e c t r o n i c t a b l e t u n l e s s u s e d f o r a 12
purpose approved under (I) of this paragraph [A COMPUTER OR 13
MODEM OF ANY KIND]; 14
(B) view movies rated "R," "X," or "NC-17"; 15
(C) possess printed or photographic material that 16
(i) is obscene as defined by the commissioner in 17
regulation; 18
(ii) could reasonably be expected to incite racial, ethnic, 19
or religious hatred that is detrimental to the security, good o rder, or 20
discipline of the institution or violence; 21
(iii) could reasonably be expected to aid in an escape or 22
in the theft or destruction of property; 23
(iv) describes procedures for brewing alcoholic 24
beverages or for manufacturing controlled substances, weapons, or 25
explosives; or 26
(v) could reasonably be expected to facilitate criminal 27
activity or a violation of institution rules; 28
(D) receive instruction in person, or by broadcast medium, or 29
engage in boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, or other martial art or in any activity 30
that, in the commissioner's discretion, would facilitate violent behavior; 31

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(E) possess or have access to equipment for use in the activit ies 1
listed in (D) of this paragraph; 2
(F) possess or have access to free weights; 3
(G) possess in the prisoner's cell a coffee pot, hot plate, 4
appliance or heating element for food preparation, or more than three electrical 5
appliances of any kind; 6
(H) possess or appear in a state of dress, hygiene, grooming, or 7
appearance other than as permitted as uniform or standard in th e correctional 8
facility; 9
( I ) u s e a c o m p u t e r or electronic tablet other than those 10
approved by the correctional facility; the use of a computer or electronic 11
tablet under this subparagraph may be approved to facilitate the prisoner's 12
compliance with a reentry plan or case plan developed under AS 33.30.011 13
or [ O N L Y ] a s p a r t o f t h e p r i s o n e r ' s rehabilitation, employment, education, 14
[OR] vocational training , access to legal reference materials, visitation, or 15
health care, or for another purpose identified by the commissio ner in 16
regulation, and may not be used for any other purpose; 17
(J) smoke or use tobacco products of any kind; 18
(4) allow a state correctional facility operated by the state to 19
charge a fee for electronic mail or electronic visitation services. 20
* Sec. 2. AS 33.30.015 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 21
(f) The commissioner may not replace in-person visitation with the use of a 22
computer or electronic tablet. To the extent practicable, the c ommissioner may not 23
replace an existing program or service provided to a prisoner f or the purpose of 24
rehabilitation with the use of a computer or electronic tablet authorized under (a)(3)(I) 25
of this section. A computer or el ectronic tablet may be used to supplement an existing 26
program or service. 27
(g) The commissioner may use com puters or electronic tablets t o provide a 28
new program or service to a prisoner for a use authorized under (a)(3)(I) of this 29
section. 30
* Sec. 3. AS 33.30.105(a) is amended to read: 31

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( a ) T h e d e p a r t m e n t s h a l l issue an identification card that is substantially 1
similar [IDENTICAL] to the motor vehicle operator's license provided f or in 2
AS 28.15.111, except that the card may [MUST] be a different color and shall state in 3
bold type letters on its face that it is for identification pur poses only. The department 4
may only issue an identification card to a prisoner before the prisoner's release. The 5
identification card must display 6
(1) a distinguishing number assigned to the identification card; 7
(2) the prisoner's full name, date of birth, brief physical de scription, 8
and photograph; 9
(3) either a facsimile of the signature of the prisoner or a s pace on 10
which the prisoner shall write the prisoner's usual signature with pen and ink; 11
(4) physical security features designed to prevent tampering, 12
counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes; 13
(5) for a qualified prisoner w ho is under 21 years of age, the words 14
"UNDER 21"; and 15
(6) a statement that the identification card is not a valid id entification 16
card for the purpose of purchasing alcoholic beverages. 17
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 18
read: 19
APPLICABILITY. AS 33.30.015(a)(4), enacted by sec. 1 of this Ac t, and 20
AS 33.30.015(f) and (g), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act, apply t o services used by a prisoner on 21
or after the effective date of this Act. 22