By Caslon Hatch
KTUU
ANCHORAGE — Alaska has seen an increase in violence in its correctional facilities during the past few years. On Tuesday, the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee heard comments about how the Department of Corrections is operating, as well as the public’s perception of the agency as a whole.
Two issues were brought up during the meeting: the length of correctional officers’ shifts and the decreasing number of officers in facilities.
“We’ve already been cut to the bone and safety is already become a major concern,” said Brad Wilson, business manager for the Alaska Correctional Officers Association, the union that represents correctional officers. “With the legislative audit looking to cut another 10 percent, that’s very serious when it comes to safety of institutions.”
ACOA represents 950 correctional officers in Alaska. He says over the years, DOC has continued to cut back on staff minimums, causing concern over both safety of officers and inmates.
According to the State of Alaska, there were 13 assaults by inmates against staff in 2011, 23 in 2012 and 36 in 2013.
Full story: Decreased Staffing Causes Safety Concerns in Alaska Jails