Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
Alaskans are aging in Alaska, so now what?
In the 1970s and early 80s people flooded Alaska looking for work in the oil industry and other fields. Now, 40 years later, many are still here. Instead of fleeing to warmer weather, Alaskans are aging in Alaska. For the past seven years, we’ve had the fastest growing senior population in the country. With it comes wisdom, economic growth, and a different set of needs. Can our state handle it?
To teach about racism, start with the basics
Confronting racism and discrimination can be hard. The solution? Start learning techniques when you are young. In parts of Anchorage, some of the teachers of these difficult lessons are other young people, but they start with the basics.
Alaska DOC commissioner wants to stop easy access of illegal drugs in prisons
Dean Williams, the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, acknowledges it's easy to access illegal drugs in prison in Alaska. He says his department is trying to stop it.
What’s it like to be bullied – and how do we stop it
Bullying is prevalent in Alaska -- about a quarter of teens say they've experienced it at school. Others have been bullied online. But why should we be concerned? How does bullying affect young people? Listen Here
Letting youth run the court to give their peers a second chance
When a young person commits a minor offense for the first time, like vandalism or petty theft, they sometimes have a choice. They can either be charged by the standard juvenile justice system and potentially get an offense on their criminal records, or they can go to youth court.
Reaching out to youth where they are
Sometimes when young people are in rough situations, they don’t want to ask for help. Especially not from adults. That’s where peer outreach workers step in. Alaska Youth Advocates have been connecting with youth on the streets of Anchorage and helping them find resources for 25 years.
For foster youth, sometimes the solution is saving each other
Being in foster care can be hard, and foster youth often turn to each other for support. Sometimes that leads to unexpected relationships.
Filling statewide housing gaps
Alaska has a housing shortage, and it's hard for many of the state's most vulnerable residents to find secure, stable places to live. Different organizations around Alaska are coming together to try to fill the gap, but it's going to require new types of collaboration. Listen Here
How hip housing helped bring donuts to Spenard
Cook Inlet Housing has developments across Anchorage, including a new 33-unit building in Spenard. In an area of town often better known for its colorful past, the developer is trying to use state-of-the-art modern housing to help promote the neighborhood's future. And it's working.
How to end homelessness in Anchorage, together
Anchorage has a plan to end homelessness, but its implementation is just beginning. As community leaders dig into the details of solving one of the city's toughest problems, getting everyone on the same page is bound to complicated. So they're starting with a conversation. But what do people who are experiencing homelessness say?
Community in Unity: Spring Creek
Most people who go to prison in Alaska will eventually be released. To be successful on the outside, they need to develop new skills and outlooks. But what's happening behind the walls to make that possible? Join us for a community conversation with inmates and staff at Spring Creek Correctional Center near Seward on Sept. 26 at 7 pm.
LISTEN HERE
Laying the groundwork for housing solutions
A closer look at steadfast, long-term solutions that lay the groundwork for housing development statewide with the executive director of the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness.
Teacher housing teaches life lessons
The school in Nikolai, until recently, had a problem. There was nowhere for the high school teacher to live. So they asked the students to build her a house.
Alaska Mental Health Trust hires new CEO
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority has hired a new CEO almost a year after the ousting of its long-time leader. Listen now
Spring Creek staff acted illegally in 2013 incident, Ombudsman finds
The state's ombudsman's office says staff at Spring Creek Correctional Center violated the law in 2013 when they stripped 12 inmates and locked them naked in cold cells without clothing, blankets, or mattresses for up to 12 hours. The ombudsman made recommendations to rectify the situation in a report released last week. Listen now
SB 91 and its effects on crime rates
In 2016, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 91 -- an omnibus criminal justice reform bill. Now, just over a year later, some are blaming the law for increases in crime and calling for its repeal. Join us for Talk of Alaska as we explore what SB 91 actually does, and what factors could be influencing crime rates in the state. Listen Here
Painting an Oasis in prison
The Department of Corrections is the largest mental health care provider in the state, and the administrators at Spring Creek Correctional Center want to make it one of the most effective, too. They’re treating inmates who have mental illnesses with new innovations, like "porches" and paintings.
Changing the way you think to stay out of prison
How do you change who you are when you live in a world that constantly says you're bad? Take a lot of classes.
Succeeding after prison
Almost everyone who goes to prison will eventually be released, but without the proper support network, many will likely re-offend. Organizations, individuals, and the Department of Corrections are trying to change that. Listen Here
Dog training provides prisoners lessons that people can’t
Staying calm and taking responsibility are some of the keys to success both inside and outside of prison. But sometimes it takes more than a person to teach that. Meet the dogs of Wildwood Correctional Center in Kenai.