Lawmakers press Alaska DOC on bed capacity, closure analysis; Palmer near full capacity, report timelines updated

Senators on Feb. 5 pressed the Alaska Department of Corrections for clearer analysis of facility capacity and the feasibility of closing institutions after reviewing last year’s intent language. Department officials told the Senate Finance Budget Subcommittee the DOC is operating close to full usable capacity and said the closure analysis submitted last year did not clearly explain adjustments for beds offline or segregation capacity.

Why it matters: facility occupancy and the prospect of closing institutions influence long‑term capital and operating costs. Lawmakers said correcting the record and receiving clearer projections is necessary before making consolidation or closure decisions that could produce expensive reopening or security costs.

What the department reported

- Usable capacity after adjustments: The department told the committee that while some count sheets suggested an 83–84% occupancy, a deeper review that excluded emergency/segregation capacity and accounted for beds offline for maintenance showed the system operating ‘‘just under 95% capacity.’’ April Wilkerson, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Corrections, said the review identified maintenance issues (for example, a Fairbanks cell that cannot be used because the door does not lock) that reduce usable beds and make straightforward consolidation impractical.

- Palmer Correctional Center: The department said Palmer is ‘‘operating at, almost 100% capacity on both sides.’’ Senators noted Palmer’s status since reopening and questioned whether consolidating or closing other facilities would be feasible without significant downstream costs.

- Past closures and reopenings: DOC staff reviewed prior closures: Wildwood was closed in the early 1990s and reopened within two years at higher cost; the farm closure in 2003 (or 2002–2003 timeframe) led to bus and security complications; Palmer was closed in 2016 and later reopened, with substantial associated budget impacts.

Legislative intent language and reporting timelines

Senators asked about outstanding intent-language items, including a report to analyze potential closures that was due at the end of the prior year. Wilkerson acknowledged the department’s submitted response did not sufficiently explain its findings and said the department will provide more detailed documentation on usable bed counts, deferred maintenance impacts and capacity methodology.

Senators also asked about two reports required by prior legislation (House Bill 66) on racial disparities and related analysis. Wilkerson said the department procured a contract (noted in testimony as with the Alaska Federation of Natives as prime contractor, with a university subcontractor) and that an interim preliminary report has been requested for April and a draft by June 30; the department warned that extended studies can require 18 months and that the broader follow‑up study remains pending funding or grant support.

Lawmakers’ concerns and next steps

Committee members said the department must provide clearer, long‑range projections and coordinate with legislative finance and the Office of Management and Budget to develop a model that reflects one‑time items, deferred maintenance and emergency bed counts. Senators emphasized the fiscal significance: the Department of Corrections general‑fund spending has risen substantially over the last decade, and bed capacity decisions will factor into future budget choices.

Ending

The subcommittee requested more thorough documentation of the closure analysis and modeling assumptions and signaled it would revisit the topic as part of budget deliberations; no vote or formal action on closures occurred at the Feb. 5 hearing.