A review of the Alaska Department of Corrections ordered by Gov. Bill Walker found outdated policies, cases of lax or informal consequences for apparent employee misconduct and mistrust between corrections staff and management.
A report on the review’s findings also raised issues with the use of solitary confinement, a state law that allows for intoxicated individuals to be held in prison for protective custody and training for corrections employees.
The review was prompted by several inmate deaths and conducted over 11 weeks by a special assistant to Walker, Dean Williams, and Joe Hanlon, a former FBI agent.
The report states the review tries to acknowledge what’s going right but is focused on what’s wrong within the department to identify areas for improvement.
