Vols 31-36 (2014-2019)

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

Smart Justice in Alaska

Barbara Armstrong

Smart justice initiatives seek to reform criminal justice systems by reducing correctional populations and recidivism while lowering costs, maintaining offender accountability, and ensuring public safety. This article describes two smart justice initiatives underway in Alaska, “Results First” and “Justice Reinvestment."
Expungement and Limiting Public Access to Alaska Criminal Case Records in the Digital Age

Barbara Armstrong and Deborah Periman

A criminal record results in a number of different barriers to reentry into the community for former offenders. These barriers — also called collateral consequences — can be mitigated by reducing the extent to which criminal records are visible to employers, landlords, and others. This article provides an overview of the complexity involved in limiting public access to criminal records, processes adopted in other states, and recent legislative proposals and current options in Alaska.
A Survey of Studies on Judicial Selection

Ryan Fortson and Kristin S. Knudsen

The Alaska legislature is considering a bill — Senate Joint Resolution 3 — that would put before voters a state constitutional amendment to change the composition of the Alaska Judicial Council and the way its members are selected. The Alaska Judicial Council plays a constitutionally-mandated role in the selection of Alaska’s judges and also makes recommendations to voters concerning retaining or not retaining judges as part of the judicial retention election process. This article reviews selected existing studies relevant to potential effects of this proposed change to the council composition — studies that examined judicial effectiveness, responsiveness of judges to public opinion, and public perception of judges. Also provided are flowcharts of the selection processes for members of the Alaska Judicial Council and of judges of the Alaska Court System; a detailed table of judicial selection methods in U.S. states and the District of Columbia; and a bibliography.
Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 32, No. 2-3 (Summer/Fall 2015)

Kristin S. Knudsen, Troy C. Payne, Daniel Reinhard, and Barbara Armstrong

The Summer/Fall 2015 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum presents articles on a survey of studies on judicial selection methods used by U.S. states, selected milestones from the UAA Justice Center's 40-year history, an intervention to reduce public disorder in Anchorage's Town Square Park, 2014 institutional populations under authority of the Alaska Department of Corrections, and smart justice initiatives in Alaska.
Contacts Between Anchorage Adults and Police

Brad A. Myrstol

This article presents selected results from a pilot study of police–citizen contacts conducted in Anchorage, Alaska in May 2013. The pilot study was part of a larger effort to establish a statewide police–public contact survey that will allow for comparison between Alaska-specific and national police–public contact estimates.
Officer-Involved Shootings in Anchorage 1993-2013

Troy C. Payne

This article presents findings from the December 2013 report Officer-Involved Shootings in Anchorage 1993–2013, which describes shootings involving officers of the Anchorage Police Department (APD) for the period January 1, 1993 through May 11, 2013.
"Activating" Park Spaces in Anchorage’s Town Square Park (Research Note)

Troy C. Payne and Daniel Reinhard

This brief research note describes an intervention designed to increase activity in Anchorage's Town Square Park in an effort to reduce public disorder in the park. An abbreviated evaluation of the intervention is included.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Association with Alcohol Abuse by Alaska Adults

Marny Rivera and Patrick Sidmore

This article examines the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — such as abuse and household dysfunction in childhood — and its association with adoption by Alaska adults of the health-risk behaviors of heavy and binge drinking. The behavioral health of Alaskans could be improved by addressing the association between ACEs and health-risk drinking behaviors, and establishing an integrated prevention system.
Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 32, No 1. (Spring 2015)

Marny Rivera, Patrick Sidmore, Barbara Armstrong, Deborah Periman, Brad A. Myrstol, and Troy C. Payne

The Spring 2015 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum presents articles on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and alcohol abuse in adulthood, limiting public access to criminal records, police–public contacts in Anchorage, and officer-involved shootings in Anchorage.
UAA Justice Center 40th Anniversary 1975–2015

UAA Justice Center

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the UAA Justice Center presents a timeline of selected milestones from its history.
2014 Alaska Department of Corrections Institutional Population

University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center

This article looks at highlights from the 2014 Alaska Offender Profile published by the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC), with a focus on institutional populations housed both in-state and out-of-state for the period 2005–2014. Institutional populations include pretrial detainees, post-conviction inmates, and probation and/or parole violators housed in a correctional facility. A brief sidebar describes Alaska's unified system of corrections.
The Homeless: Who and How Many?

Barbara Armstrong and Sharon Chamard

Across the nation in both rural and urban areas, public and private agencies work to provide services for homeless people. One of the biggest challenges is collecting data about homeless individuals: how many people are homeless, who they are, what services they need most, and how long they have been homeless. This article looks at reports from 2012, 2013, and 2014 on estimates of homelessness in the U.S. and Alaska, the subpopulations of homeless individuals, and the various definitions of homelessness.
Shifting Marijuana Laws and Policies: Implications for Alaska

Jason Brandeis

Marijuana regulation continues to be a pressing criminal justice and social policy issue both in Alaska and across the nation. A ballot measure that would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana in Alaska will be before the state’s voters at the November 2014 general election. This article summarizes Alaska’s current marijuana laws (as of summer 2014), identifies recent changes to other state laws and federal policies related to marijuana use and possession, and discusses the impact of those changes on Alaska’s marijuana laws.
Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 31 No. 1-2 (Spring/Summer 2014)

Jason Brandeis, Barbara Armstrong, Sharon Chamard, Mary Geddes, and Stacey Marz

The Spring/Summer 2014 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum includes articles on marijuana laws and policies, homelessness statistics for Alaska and the U.S., the newly-created Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, and the Alaska Court System's Early Resolution Program (ERP) for family law cases.
Key Acts and Cases for Alaska Tribal Court Jurisdiction

Ryan Fortson

This article provides an annotated survey of Alaska and federal case law and statutes tracing the development of tribal court jurisdiction in Alaska.
Survey of Tribal Court Effectiveness Studies

Ryan Fortson and Jacob A. Carbaugh

This article examines empirical studies that have been conducted on the effectiveness of tribal courts, both in terms of reduction in recidivism and participant attitudes, and a look at some of the challenges to implementing a tribal court effectiveness study in Alaska.
Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 31, No. 3-4 (Fall 2014/Winter 2015)

Ryan Fortson, Jacob A. Carbaugh, Jeff D. May, and Mara Kimmel

The Fall 2014/Winter 2015 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum is devoted primarily to issues related to tribal courts in Alaska, including how they function, measures of their effectiveness, restorative justice, and past and future issues regarding tribal court jurisdiction.
The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: A Legislative Call for Action

Mary Geddes

With its enactment of Senate Bill 64 during the 2013–2014 legislative session, the Alaska Legislature created the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission. This article describes the work of the commission, which is charged with evaluating and making recommendations “for improving criminal sentencing practices and criminal justice practices, including rehabilitation and restitution” over a three-year period. An accompanying sidebar describes other provisions of SB 64, the omnibus crime bill.
Senate Bill 64 - Omnibus Crime Bill

University of Justice Center

This brief article describes provisions of SB 64, the omnibus crime bill enacted during the 2013–2014 session of the Alaska Legislature. Sidebar accompanying the article "The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: A Legislative Call for Action."
Early Resolution for Family Law Cases in Alaska's Courts

Stacey Marz

The Early Resolution Program (ERP), the first program of its kind in the nation, was developed by the Alaska Court System's Family Law Self-Help Center to provide self-represented litigants in family law cases with free legal assistance and mediation to help resolve issues and reach settlements without protracted court trials. This article discusses the ERP's goals and development, describes how cases are screened and processed, and presents ERP statistics though August 2014.
Community Justice Initiatives in the Galena District Court

Jeff D. May

This article examines a community outreach program in rural Alaska whereby an Alaska Court System judge uses restorative justice principles in village sentencing hearings.
Restorative Justice: Theory, Processes, and Application in Rural Alaska

Jeff D. May

An exploration of the principles behind using restorative justice as an alternate form of sentencing in criminal cases, with a focus particularly on how restorative justice might be of benefit in rural Alaska. Includes a bibliography. A sidebar, "Restorative Justice Programs and Sentencing", looks at amendments to Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure 11(i) and Delinquency Rules 21(d)(3) and 23(f) which describe the requirements for referral to a restorative justice program as part of the sentencing process.
Current Issues Regarding Alaska Tribal Court Jurisdiction

Fortson N/A

This article examines some of the unresolved issues that will shape tribal court jurisdiction in Alaska in coming years.
Rural Governance Report 2014

Kimmel N/A

This article presents highlights from the report of the reconvened Rural Governance Commission, with a focus on pathways necessary to ensure public safety for rural Alaskans. The Alaska Commission on Rural Governance and Empowerment was originally convened in 1999.
Tribal Courts in Alaska

UAA Justice Center

This article introduces the Fall 2014/Winter 2014 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum, which focuses on topics related to tribal courts in Alaska.