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Report of the Alaska Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Fairness and Access

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Report of the Alaska Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Fairness and Access Report of the Alaska Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Fairness and Access October 31, 1997 Alaska Court System 303 K Street Anchorage, AK 99501 907-264-0548 Prepared with the assistance of State SJI Justice Institute PURPOSE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In 1995, a group of judges and administrators from the Alaska Court System attended a national conference on Eliminating Race and Ethnic Bias in the Courts, sponsored by the State Justice Institute. Following this conference, the Alaska Supreme Court appointed the Advisory Committee on Fairness and Access to identify concerns about racial and ethnic bias in the state court system and make recommendations. The Fairness and Access Committee enlisted many community members and court employees to serve on its six subcommittees, to make findings and recommendations to the full committee on a broad range of topics. This report is intended to assist the Alaska Supreme Court in addressing those concerns. The Fairness and Access Committee thanks the many people who have worked to make the project succeed. The committee received a major grant from the State Justice Institute to hire a project director, conduct research, hold meetings by teleconference, and seek out public participation. The State Justice Institute provided further travel support for the subcommittee members to receive training and work together on their findings and recommendations. The administration of the Alaska Court System provided administrative support and staff time. The Area Court Administrators provided funding for travel and research. The Alaska Judicial Council provided staff time and research support. The individual committee and subcommittee members gave generously of their time. The Fairness and Access Committee gives special thanks to the many Alaskans who took time to testify at public hearings, write letters, make phone calls and tell the committee of their experiences. This effort could not have occurred without them. This project was developed under grant number SJI 96-206-A-151 from the State Justice Institute. Points of view expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the State Justice Institute. i COMMITTEE MEMBERS Justice Jay A. Rabinowitz (retired), co-chair Alaska Supreme Court, Juneau Judge Mary E. Greene, co-chair Alaska Superior Court, Fairbanks Teresa W. Carns, Vice-chair Alaska Judicial Council, Anchorage Judge Larry D. Card Alaska Superior Court, Anchorage Judge Dale Curda Alaska Superior Court, Bethel Judge Roy Madsen (retired) Alaska Superior Court, Kodiak Judge Larry Zervos Alaska Superior Court, Sitka Stephanie Cole Alaska Court System, Anchorage SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS Consumer/User Subcommittee Judge Larry Zervos, chair Alaska Superior Court, Sitka Marla Greenstein Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, Anchorage Jim LaBelle Rural Affairs Coordinator, Alaska Dept. of Corrections, Anchorage Brant McGee Public Advocate, Office of Public Advocacy, Anchorage Bob Sawyer Community Activist, Fairbanks Richard Slats Chevak Traditional Council, Chevak Court as Employer Subcommittee Justice Jay A. Rabinowitz (retired), chair Alaska Supreme Court, Juneau Teresa W. Carns Alaska Judicial Council, Anchorage Cindy Chase Personnel Director, Alaska Court System Jim Chase Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, Anchorage Stephanie Cole Deputy Administrative Director, Alaska Court System Jean Gamache Native Rights Advocate, Anchorage Andrew Guy Calista Native Corporation, Anchorage Dorothy Jones Affirmative Action Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks Cynthia Madrey Employment Coordinator, NAACP, Anchorage Carmen Newton Personnel Specialist, Alaska Court System Sharon Renfro Clerk of Superior Court, Juneau Barbara Wilson Affirmative Action Program, University of Alaska, Anchorage Disparate Confinement of Adults and Youth Judge Mary E. Greene, chair Alaska Superior Court, Fairbanks Kirsten Bey Assistant Public Defender, Nome Donna Brooks Civil Rights Activist, Anchorage Nancy Schafer University of Alaska Justice Center, Anchorage Donna M. Schultz Division of Family and Youth Services, Juneau John Tetpon Alaska Federation of Natives, Anchorage John Vacek Assistant District Attorney, Nome Steve Widmer Alaska Department of Corrections, Fairbanks ii Jury Composition Subcommittee Judge Larry Card, chair Alaska Superior Court, Anchorage Morgan Coggswell Jury Clerk Supervisor, Anchorage Stephen Conn Alaska Public Interest Research Group, Anchorage Judge Peter Froelich Alaska District Court, Juneau Kari Bazzy Garber Native Rights Attorney, Anchorage Averil Lerman Attorney, Anchorage Celeste Hodges Alaska NAACP, Anchorage Judge Donald Hopwood Alaska Superior Court, Kodiak Laurel Peterson Attorney, Anchorage Language and Culture Subcommittee Judge Richard H. Erlich, chair Alaska Superior Court, Kotzebue Robin Bronen Catholic Social Services, Anchorage Thelma Buchholdt Attorney, Anchorage Mike A. Jackson Alaska Court Magistrate, Kake Heather Kendall Native American Rights Fund, Anchorage Kimberly Martus Tribal Justice Advocate, Anchorage Galen Paine Assistant Public Defender, Sitka Judge Larry Zervos Alaska Superior Court, Sitka Rural Access Subcommittee Judge Dale Curda, co-chair Alaska Superior Court, Bethel Judge Roy Madsen (retired), co-chair Alaska Superior Court, Kodiak Louise Brady Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka James Jackson Alaska Court Magistrate, Galena Judge Michael Jeffery Alaska Superior Court, Barrow John McIntyre Association of Village Council Presidents, Bethel Judge Eric Morrison Tlingit and Haida Central Council Tribal Court, Juneau iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Purpose and acknowledgments i Committee and subcommittee members iii Table of contents v Executive summary vii Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................. 1 Purpose and Structure of this Report . 1 Need for Examination of Ethnic and Cultural Bias . 2 Formation of the Fairness and Access Committee . 3 Understanding Barriers to Court Access . 4 Lack of Legal Knowledge ..................................... 4 Financial and Physical Barriers ............................... 5 Emotional Barriers.......................................... 5 Role of Other Agencies ....................................... 5 Chapter 2: Committee Process ....................................... 7 Scope of Work................................................. 7 Issues Addressed by the Subcommittees . 8 Consumer/Users of Court System Services Subcommittee . 8 Court as Employer Subcommittee.............................. 8 Disparate Confinement of Youths and Adults Subcommittee . 9 Jury Composition Subcommittee............................... 9 Language and Culture Subcommittee . 10 Rural Access to the Court System Subcommittee . 10 Public Participation........................................... 11 Chapter 3: Recommendations to the Alaska Supreme Court ........... 13 A. Increased Services to Rural Areas . 14 B. Public Education Program ................................... 17 C. Language Interpreters ...................................... 18 D. Cross-cultural Training ..................................... 21 E. Local Dispute Resolution and Cooperation with Local Organizations 22 F. More Effective Communication ............................... 24 G. Studies of the Criminal Justice System . 25 H. Expanding Sentencing Alternatives . 26 I. Expanding the Jury Pool .................................... 28 J. Diversifying the Alaska Court System Workforce . 30 K. Cultural Navigator Pilot Program . 32 L. Child in Need of Aid Proceedings ............................. 33 M. Implementation of Recommendations . 34 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Chapter 4: Recommendation to Other Institutions and State Legal Agencies ........................................... 35 A. Language Interpreters ...................................... 36 B. Cross-cultural Training ..................................... 38 C. Local Dispute Resolution .................................... 39 D. Expanding Sentencing Alternatives . 40 E. Study of Effects of Ethnicity on Criminal Justice Processes . 43 F. Public Education .......................................... 44 G. Child in Need of Aid Proceedings ............................. 45 H. Funding for Alaska Legal Services and State Legal Agencies . 46 Chapter 5: Subcommittee Findings and Recommendations ............ 47 Consumer User Subcommittee .................................. 47 Findings ................................................. 48 Recommendations.......................................... 51 Court as Employer Subcommittee ............................... 56 Findings ................................................. 56 Recommendations.......................................... 58 Disparate Confinement Subcommittee . 65 Findings about Adult Offenders .............................. 65 Findings about Juvenile Offenders . 70 Recommendations.......................................... 73 Jury Composition Subcommittee ................................ 81 Findings ................................................. 81 Recommendations.......................................... 86 Language and Culture Subcommittee . 91 Language Findings......................................... 91 Culture Findings .......................................... 97 Language Recommendations ................................. 98 Culture Recommendations.................................. 101 Rural Access Subcommittee ................................... 104 Findings ................................................ 104
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