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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2019-20th~&1'J t1/, KENAI, ALASKA "V Sponsored by: Mayor Gabriel and City Council Members Suggested by : Council Member Peterkin CITY OF KENAI RESOLUTION NO. 2019-20 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF SENTENCED FACILITIES AT WILDWOOD CORRECTIONAL COMPLEX. WHEREAS , Governor Michael Dunleavy has proposed closing sentenced facilit ies at the Wildwood Correctional Complex; and, WHEREAS, while the Wildwood Correctional Complex lies physically just outside the City of Kenai, it plays a vital role in our community; and, WHEREAS, closing the sentenced facilities would eliminate approximately 46 jobs, many held by City residents, impacting families and potentially forcing residents to relocate ; and, WHEREAS , inmates from the sentenced facilities perform many public services in the community and are an important part of the labor force in some economic sectors; and, WHEREAS , services provided to the sentenced facilities support many local businesses; and, WHEREAS , the Wildwood Correctional Complex is one of the most efficiently run correctional facilities in the State with a cost of care per inmate based on FY 2018 at $104.21 per prisoner per day exclusive of shared administrative costs, only behind Goose Creek Correctional facility; and, WHEREAS, the Wildwood Correctional Complex is supported by many local nonprofit organizations dedicated to working with prisoners and has other unique programs reducing recid ivism ; and , WHEREAS, the State has not convincingly shown that shipping inmates out of state to privately run prisons actually saves the State money; and , WHEREAS , shipping prisoners out of State to private prisons has many unquantified costs such as travel expenses for prisoners and probation officers, lack of ea rly release leading to longer periods of incarceration and higher costs , and likely higher rates of recidivism; and, WHEREAS, rather than closing the sentenced facility , the state should examine where efficiencies and costs savings can be made to reduce the operational costs of the facility; and , WHEREAS , keeping the sentenced facilit ies at Wildwood Correctional Complex is in the best interest of t he City and State . Resolution No. 2019-20 Page 2 of 2 NOW , THEREFORE , BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI , ALASKA: Section 1. That Governor Dunleavy and the state legislature are strongly encouraged t o keep the sentenced facilities at Wildwood Correctional Complex open and e xamine impl ementation of budget cuts that reduce operational costs as an alternative. Section 2. That a copy of this resolution shall be sent to Governo r Dunleavy, all members of the Alaska House of Representatives and all members of the Alaska State Senate . Section 3. That this resolution takes effect immed iately upon adoption . ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI , ALASKA, th is 3 rd da y of Apri l, 2019. N-~o-.... BRIAN GABRIELSR:MAYOR 1lftfl'~ «1/t/i a PaJ'~ Ct'tf «1/t/i a f°v.tfl.l"e" 210 F idalgo Ave , Kenai , Alaska 99611-7794 Telephone : (907) 283-7535 I Fax: (907) 283 -3014 www.kenai .city MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor Brian Gabriel and Kenai City Council Council Member Robert Peterkin March 27, 2019 Resolution No. 2019 -20 A Resolution Supporting the Continued Operation of Sentenced Facilities at Wildwood Correctional Complex As part of his proposed budget, Governor Michael Dunleavy proposed closing the sentenced facilities at the Wildwood Correctional Complex. Closure of the sentenced facilities would negatively impact the City and it is unclear whether there would be actual cost saving to the State which is the rational provided for the closure . Closing the sentenced facility would cause the loss of about 46 fulltime positions at the jail. Many of these employees live in Kenai with their families. The closure would cause economic hardship and may require residents to relocate for other job opportunities. Additionally several local businesses provide services to the facility and these businesses would lose that opportunity. Further, inmates at Wildwood provide needed labor in the City, primarily in the fish processing industry. Inmates at Wildwood also provide many community services in the City, including assisting our parks and recreation department with beach cleanup , building park facilities, beautification projects and other structures, shoveling hydrants, irradiating invasive plants and also assist at the senior center. The Governor's proposal includes shipping inmates out of state as opposed to keeping them at Wildwood. It is unclear whether this would result in any actual cost savings to the State . Wildwood has the second lowest inmate cost in Alaska, at $104.21 per inmate per day for CY2019 exclusive of administrative costs. This factor alone raises the question why Wildwood would be selected as the facility to close. It is unclear what the cost per day to house inmates out of state at privately run prisons would be, but these rates must also consider transportation costs for prisoners and officers and that prison terms are often longer out of state than in state were prisoners have an opportunity for early release . Further Wildwood has many services provided by various community organizations, including counseling and work opportunities that reduce recidivism . To the contrary , prisoners sent out of state and housed with other out of state prisoners often return to Alaska with less chance of succeeding outside the crimina l system then when they left. Rather Page 2 of 2 Resolut io n 2019-20 than close the sentenced facilities , the State should look at implementing efficiencie s and cost savings within Wildwood and other in -state correctional facilities . Your consideration is appreciated.