Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 5, No. 3 (Fall 1988)

Abstract

The Fall 1988 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum reports the results of study of the Alaska Pretrial Intervention (PTI) of the Alaska Department of Law, which operated from 1983 to 1986. The PTI program was intended to provide an alternative to full prosecution in cases where the nature of the offense did not appear to warrant such prosecution; the study concludes that the program succeeded according to a number of factors. An article on the policy for Native self-determination in Alaska developed by Congress and the state has sought to replace a tribal model of governance with a body of legislation which confirms land rights without the direct political involvement of Alaska Native villages; however, the author argues, the absence of tribes as formal political structures has contributed to a loss of self-determination among Alaska Natives and to serious negative effects on Native village life. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports on a national survey of criminal defense programs for the poor. September 1988 population figures for Alaska Department of Corrections facilities are presented.