Rep. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, center, speaks from a panel of the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission during a listening session at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Rep. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, center, speaks from a panel of the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission during a listening session at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

To repeal or not? Statewide crime commission hoping for feedback on SB 91

Juneau police chief says Legislature should take ‘hard look’ at bill

A day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced four bills aimed at rolling back parts of Senate Bill 91, a statewide crime commission held a public meeting hoping to get feedback on the bill and its effects.

The meeting, held by the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC), was advertised as a listening session for people who have been victims of crime. The bulk of the time was spent talking about SB 91, the criminal justice reform bill passed in 2016 aimed at reducing incarceration and recidivism rates.

Dunleavy’s proposed bills address sex crimes, pretrial processes, parole and prison sentences. Senate Bill 32, for example, intends to reinstate more severe sentencing ranges that were in place prior to SB 91.

In a letter that was submitted along with SB 32 to Senate President Cathy Giessel, Dunleavy wrote that SB 91 has limited the state’s ability to address the increase in crime.

“Most importantly, SB 91 has contributed to the loss of public trust in our criminal justice system and our ability to keep Alaskans safe,” Dunleavy wrote.

Dunleavy said in a Wednesday press conference there will be more bills coming up, hoping to “plug” some of the holes that he believes SB 91 has created in the state’s criminal justice system.

[Here’s a look at what Dunleavy’s four new crime bills would do]

Barbara Dunham, the project attorney for the ACJC, said the commission was not asked for recommendations prior to Dunleavy’s bills being announced. The commission was formed by former Gov. Sean Parnell and began meeting in 2014. The commission’s goal is to gather information and make public safety recommendations to the Legislature.

Juneau Police Department Chief Ed Mercer was in attendance at the ACJC meeting Thursday. When asked if he thought repealing SB 91 was a good idea, Mercer said a total repeal might be going too far but he’d like to see the Legislature spend some quality time considering changes.

“They need to take a hard look at it and see if it’s worth us continuing on there,” Mercer said. “I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as just repealing it 100 percent, but I think some amendments when it comes to dealing with repeat offenders over and over and clearly separating people who are career criminals out there to address them at a different level (than lower-level offenders).”

Proponents of the bill have said it will take a little time for effects of the bill to be fully felt. As crime rates rise, critics have called for a repeal of the bill.

It’s difficult to draw a line from SB 91 to a rise or fall in crime rates, members of the commission said. Rep. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, said the recent rise in crime began prior to SB 91 going into effect.

“It’s always easy to blame something that passed the Legislature and not really get a lot of the details,” Claman, who is on the commission, said during the meeting.

Opening up the lines of communication

Only about 15 people showed up to Thursday’s ACJC event, which was held at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.

The commission includes members from around the state, including Brenda Stanfill, the commission’s victims’ rights advocate. Stanfill said they were hoping more people would show up so they could try to dispel a misconception about the commission, which provides recommendations to the Legislature on criminal justice issues including SB 91.

“This commission is not just about making things easier for somebody who’s harming our community,” Stanfill said during the meeting. “It’s about connecting those who are harming our community with the right services where they’ll stop harming our communities and assisting people who are being victimized in terms of making them whole.”

[Residents express frustrations, stories of Juneau crime wave]

Mercer said clearer messaging on the timeline of SB 91 would be helpful.

“I really think what would really be valuable for the state is to have a road map for the public … to say, ‘This is where we’re at and this is where we’re going to be.’ Right now, a lot of people don’t know that, including a lot of law enforcement like myself. I don’t know where this is going,” Mercer said.

Mercer mentioned that the number of Part 1 crimes — offenses such as burglaries, thefts and aggravated assaults — through the first quarter of 2018 began to decrease from totals in 2017, and it’s unclear whether any part of that can be attributed to SB 91’s efforts. Overall in recent years, crime has risen precipitously in Juneau. The number of Part 1 crimes has risen by 84 percent since 2014, according to the department’s annual Uniform Crime Reports.

Dunham said that if people had comments to share with the commission, they could email her at bdunham@ajc.state.ak.us and she would pass on comments to the commissioners.


• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.


More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast for the week of March 18

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

A board in the House Chambers at the Alaska State Capitol shows Monday’s vote tally of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of Senate Bill 140, one vote short of the two-thirds necessary. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislature fails by a single vote of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education bill

Legislators warn bad blood may hamper other issues as numerous Republicans abandon earlier support.

With COVID-19 aid, more schools gave students and families experiencing homelessness prepaid cards to buy necessities like groceries and gas. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Grocery cards and car repairs: How COVID aid changed the way schools can help homeless kids

Juneau student services specialist among those finding creative ways to provide assistance.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Saturay, March 16, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Friday, March 15, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy discusses his veto of a wide-ranging education bill during a press conference Friday at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Veto override vote on education bill expected to have consequences — and no assurance of extra funds

Retaliation by governor, fractured relationships within Legislature on other issues among concerns.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Thursday, March 14, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Kaskanak Creek in the Bristol Bay’s Kvichak watershed is seen from the air on Sept. 27, 2011. Threats to the watershed and other sites were cited by the Environmental Protection Agency when it issued a decision barring permitting of the Pebble mine. But the Dunleavy administration and Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. have taken legal action to try to reverse that decision. (Photo provided by Environmental Protection Agency
State lawsuit claims federal government owes Alaska $700 billion for quashing Pebble mine

The federal government owes Alaska more than $700 billion in compensation for… Continue reading

Tongass National Forest (Photo by U.S. Forest Service)
New Department of Interior opinion promises to recognize expanded tribal jurisdiction in Alaska

Tribes can exert jurisdiction over allotments granted to individual Natives, opinion states.

Most Read