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Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center |
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Since the establishment of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) in late 1994, Alaska has received over $41 million in grant funds from the federal government for policing in communities throughout the state. According to figures released by COPS, the money has made possible the hiring of over 322 police officers throughout the state (full-time equivalent positions); funds have also been earmarked for equipment and programming. Over 90 Alaska police agencies, communities, and tribal groups have received funds from COPS since 1994.
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Despite the enormous growth in the U.S. prison population, particularly in the number of women incarcerated, very little is known about children, either in the country as a whole or in Alaska, who now have at least one parent in jail. While there are some national estimates of the number of prisoners who are parents of minor children, in Alaska the Department of Corrections has no firm figures. If Alaska figures parallel available national estimates, several thousand children currently have at least one parent in the state’s prisons.
Correctional Populations: 2001
In 2001, Alaska continued to have a rate of incarceration lower than the national rate, but the state’s correctional population grew much more than that of the country as a whole, and Alaska had one of the highest percentages among the states of prisoners held in private facilities. Overall, the nation’s prison population grew 1.1 percent in 2001, less than the average annual growth of 3.8 percent since the end of 1995. Alaska, however, experienced an 8.9 percent increase in its prison population.