Employment Barriers and Domestic Violence

Research has found the link between perpetrator unemployment and domestic violence to be so significant that experts conclude any effective domestic violence prevention strategy must address unemployment and male poverty.[Main article] / [SIDEBAR:] Source

Revisiting Alaska's Sex Offender Registration and Public Notification Statute

Originally published in the Alaska Justice Forum 25(1–2): 2–5 (Spring/Summer 2008)This article examines the background and judicial interpretation of Alaska's sex offender registration and public notification statute, the new federal requirements for state sex offender registries and public notice under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, and weaknesses in both Alaska's existing system and the enhanced requirements of the new federal legislation. These weaknesses include: * Absence of incentives for offenders to seek therapy or treatment; * Failure to provide for individualized risk assessment that would differentiate between those offenders who pose a negligible or very low risk of re-offending from those who pose a continuing public risk — a failure that causes unwarranted marginalization of low risk offenders and diminishes the overall effectiveness of the public notification system; * Public notice provisions so broad as to substantially impede offenders' reintegration into their families, their community, and the workforce, and potentially chilling family reporting; * Internet posting requirements associated with severe stigmatization and public harassment, and concomitant emotional destabilization and isolation of offenders — factors that may actually increase the risk of recidivism and community harm. * Because the Walsh Act conditions state receipt of Byrne Grant funds on compliance with its enhanced registration and notice requirements, there is little Alaska can do to remedy the above weaknesses and still remain eligible for Byrne funds. However, the article concludes with a recommendation for limited changes to our statute that would minimize, to the extent possible, its adverse effect on offenders' ability to find employment; omit the lowest risk offenders from internet posting requirements; and provide those incentives for treatment permissible under the Walsh Act

The Hidden Impact of a Criminal Conviction: A Brief Overview of Collateral Consequences in Alaska

A slightly different version of this article was published in the Alaska Justice Forum: "The Hidden Impact of a Criminal Conviction: A Brief Overview of Collateral Consequences in Alaska" by Deborah Periman. Alaska Justice Forum 24(3): 1, 6–12 (Fall 2007). (https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-health/departments/justice-center/alaska-justice-forum/24/3fall2007/a_collateral.cshtml).Collateral consequences, a term used in this paper to refer generally to the effect of any measure that might increase the negative consequences of a criminal conviction, fall roughly into three categories: impaired access to, or enjoyment of, the ordinary rights and benefits associated with citizenship or residency, such as voting or driving; impaired economic opportunity, primarily through reduction of the range of available employment; and increased severity of sanctions in any subsequent criminal proceeding brought against the offender. These indirect but significant consequences of a felony or misdemeanor conviction are receiving increasing attention from policy makers, ethicists, and the bar. Setting aside issues of constitutional or statutory rights, the growing web of civil disabilities triggered by a criminal conviction raises fundamental questions about what makes sense as a matter of public policy. This paper examines policy considerations of collateral consequences and provides a preliminary effort to list all of the provisions of Alaska state law that may diminish in some respect the opportunities available to an individual with a criminal conviction in his or her background.Policy Considerations: Criminal Administration, Economics, and Public Safety / Policy Considerations: Ethics and Fundamental Fairness / Collection of Collateral Consequences Statutes and Regulations in Alaska / Bibliograph

Justice Center Research Overview; Vol. 4

Presents a brief history of sex offender registries and notification programs nationally and in Alaska; describes provisions of Alaska's registry/notification laws; and discusses recent research findings about the effectiveness of such laws and their impact on offenders

Collateral Consequences and Reentry in Alaska: An Update

This article describes recent efforts at the national level to ameliorate the public costs of unnecessary collateral consequences, summarizes the array of statutory and regulatory impediments faced by released offenders in Alaska, and highlights legislative efforts in Alaska to improve community safety and public health by facilitating prisoner reintegration and reducing rates of recidivism.Introduction / Collateral Consequences in the U.S.: 2013–2014 / Collateral Consequences in Alaska: 2013–2014 / The Reform Movement / Conclusion / SIDEBARS / Alaska Resources on Reentry / The Second Chance Act in Alask

Expungement and Limiting Public Access to Alaska Criminal Case Records in the Digital Age

A criminal record results in a number of different barriers to reentry into the community for former offenders. These barriers — also called collateral consequences — can be mitigated by reducing the extent to which criminal records are visible to employers, landlords, and others. This article provides an overview of the complexity involved in limiting public access to criminal records, processes adopted in other states, and recent legislative proposals and current options in Alaska.[Introduction] / Background / Criminal Records in the Digital Age: National Overview / Expungement and Criminal Records in Alaska / Going Forward // SIDEBARS / The Model Penal Code / Federal REDEEM Act of 2015 / Recent Legislative Proposals on Criminal Records in Alaska / Data on CourtView / Alaska Court Rules of Administration—Case Information / Expungement Resource

Teacher Perceptions of School Climate and PBIS

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between perceptions of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a behavior change system implemented in schools, length of teaching experience, and teacher perceptions of school climate. The sample for this study was made up of certified teachers in schools that had implemented PBIS, and from schools that had not implemented PBIS, located in Washington State. Data were collected from two surveys, one of which measured teacher perceptions of PBIS and the other measured teacher perceptions of school climate. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed to determine if there was a relationship. Results showed that teachers who reported more positive perceptions of PBIS also had more positive perceptions of their school climate, with the PBIS survey predicting 53.6% of the variance in the school climate survey. This result strongly supports implementation of PBIS as a way to create a more positive school climate. There was not a significant relationship between years of certified teaching experience and perceptions of school climate

Milltown Project Rehabilitation

Milltown Dam was constructed in 1906 and 1907 as a rock fill timber-crib dam located at the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers at the community of Milltown. It was constructed by the W. A. Clark interests and acquired by the Montana Power Company in 1929. The dam has been modified over the years and now consists of a composite of timber and concrete construction. It presently is 668 feet long with an operating head of 30 feet and a structural height of about 60 feet. It has an installed capacity of 3400 kW. It generates at an average capacity of 2000 kW and produces about 17 million kWh of electric power annually. It is operated as a run-of-river plant utilizing the natural flow of the rivers. The reservoir behind the dam covers about 500 acres and holds about 820 acre/feet. The reservoir is essentially filled with sediments with depths of up to about 25 feet. Indications are that much of the sediment contains elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Due to its age and type of construction, the project has become increasingly difficult to maintain as a functional and safe project. On three occasions since 1973, the dam has experienced extensive damage due to deteriorated timbers and excessive leakage through the structure. Minor continuous movement in the structure is occurring. In response to these problems, the Montana Power Company studied options for the future use of the project. Three primary objectives governed these studies. They were: Modifications to the project must be such that any water-retaining structures must be safe so there is no hazard to downstream residents and property. Modifications must minimize environmental impacts. Of primary importance are measures to prevent the release of sediments in hazardous quantities to the Clark Fork River. Modifications must be done in a cost-effective manner to minimize impact upon the rising cost of energy. Three basic options were considered: (1) retirement of the project with removal of the structures, (2) semi-retirement with partial structure removal, and (3) rehabilitation of the project