Alaskan Village Justice: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Initiated by the Alaska Criminal Justice Planning Agency, this is the first comprehensive study of public safety and the administration of justice in the predominately Alaska Native villages of rural or "bush" Alaska. Researchers visited 56 communities within seven of the twelve Alaska Native corporation regions in the state as part of an exploratory effort to collect crime and justice information for use by the State of Alaska in criminal justice policy development in rural areas of the state. Information was gathered in three ways: (1) review of available documents related to each of the communities; (2) direct observations of the communities and justice operations within them; and (3) structured interviews with community residents to elict both object and subjective information about operation of public safety and social control systems. The 175 interviewees included community officials, village police officers, health aides, and magistrates.

The report addresses customs, law, and crime in village Alaska; context on justice services in Native communities; police services; legal and judicial services; prisoner detention and corrections; and recommendations for improving the delivery of justice services to rural communities. The study concluded that bush residents do not receive equal protection regarding public safety and justice services in comparison with their counterparts in larger Alaska communities; that the State of Alaska does not have have adequate data needed to identify and address public safety and justice problems in bush areas; and that bush villages and rural Natives are not homogeneous entities and hence require varied and particularized responses by the state.