Friend –

Last week, ACLU of Alaska staff traveled to Juneau to meet with members of the Alaska legislature to advocate for criminal legal reform.

We had many positive conversations with elected officials on everything from deaths in custody to reform for the Alaska Board of Parole. Both are critical components within our criminal legal system that need to be fixed to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of incarcerated Alaskans.

I had the ability to testify in front of the Senate State Affairs Committee in support of SB 176, to reform the Board of Parole. A board with diverse professional backgrounds can more accurately and fairly determine if an incarcerated person will be a safe and productive member of the community. Sylvester Byrd Jr., a formerly incarcerated Alaskan who was paroled after serving 27 years in prison, also gave testimony on how parole changed the trajectory of his life. You can watch our testimony below.

Parole is a pillar of the criminal legal system that serves a rehabilitative purpose. When granted to incarcerated people who have served a portion of their sentence and demonstrated rehabilitation, parole increases the ability for Alaskans to financially and physically support their families and community.

The result of parole is lower costs to taxpayers, all while lowering recidivism rates and contributing to safer communities, both in and out of prison. Read more about parole in Alaska's criminal legal system.

We'll be headed back to Juneau at the end of the month to continue advocating for SB 176 and other meaningful changes to Alaska's criminal legal system. Stay tuned for more updates!

In solidarity,

Megan Edge
Prison Project Director, ACLU of Alaska

P.S. Need a refresher on parole? We've got a '101' read for you!