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Governor Dunleavy introduced a fairly ‘status-quo’ budget in most respects – more on that later. The budgets on public safety is one that I work on as a member of the Senate and keep them as a priority as I have in prior years, even as a chairman while in the House. This year, the Department of Corrections Budget is very minimal, though there is a significant $10-million increase to pay for contracted services in the Pretrial Division where inmates utilize electronic home monitoring systems or live in halfway houses. The cost of pretrial services is much less than placing a defendant in a facility and also allows them the ability to maintain a job while awaiting a trial.
After many years of deep cuts to criminal justice agencies and a poor retirement incentive to remain in state service, the Department of Public Safety is seeing it difficult to recruit and retain even basic level law enforcement and State Troopers. The Governor has budgeted for a new Trooper recruitment manager, $3.5-million for increases to Village Public Safety Officers and funding to fill the nearly 70 current vacant Trooper positions. A few budget items I’ve advocated made it in to the budget includes funding for a turbo-prop and pilot for Fairbanks, advertisement funds to curb Missing and Murdered Indigenous people and public portals to ensure that records requests or body camera footage is available.
With input from criminal justice experts and the public, I look forward to reviewing the proposals to protect our families and communities and ensure that the state provides a lean and efficient public service.
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