SEX OFFENSES A Report to the Alaska State Legislature April 5, 2019 An overview on the data, research, law and policies relating to sex offenses in Alaska. The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission http://www.ajc.state.ak.us/alaska-criminal-justice-commission The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission Created by the Alaska State Legislature in 2014, the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission reviews Alaska’s criminal justice laws with the goals of reducing recidivism and improving cost- effectiveness within the criminal justice system. The Commission has 14 members: o Matt Claman, Chair, House of Representatives, Non-Voting o Joel Bolger, Chief Justice, Alaska Supreme Court o Sean Case, Anchorage Police Department o Kevin Clarkson, Attorney General Designee (formerly Jahna Lindemuth) o Shelley Hughes, Senate, Non-Voting (formerly John Coghill) o Adam Crum, Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Designee, Non-Voting (formerly Valerie Davidson) o Nancy Dahlstrom, Department of Corrections Commissioner Designee (formerly Dean Williams) o Amanda Price, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Designee(formerly Walter Monegan) o Gregory Razo, representing the Alaska Native Community o Stephanie Rhoades, District Court Judge, Ret. o Brenda Stanfill, Victims’ Rights Advocate o Quinlan Steiner, Public Defender o Trevor Stephens, Superior Court Judge o Steve Williams, COO, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority i Table of Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 1 II. Data on Sex Offenses .......................................................................................................................................... 5 A. Victimization in Alaska ....................................................................................................................... 5 1. Victimization Survey .................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Reports to Law Enforcement .................................................................................................................... 7 3. Alaska compared to the rest of the United States ........................................................................ 11 B. Criminal sex offense case processing in Alaska ......................................................................... 14 1. Reports to Law Enforcement by Count/Statute Violation .......................................................... 15 2. From Report to Referral or Arrest ........................................................................................................ 17 3. From Referral or Arrest to Criminal Charging ................................................................................. 18 4. From Charge to Conviction .................................................................................................................... 19 5. Sex Offense Case Processing: Key Takeaways ................................................................................ 24 6. Incarceration ................................................................................................................................................ 25 7. Evidence in Sexual Offense Cases........................................................................................................ 27 8. Case Characteristics .................................................................................................................................. 30 C. Cases Involving Minors ................................................................................................................... 34 1. Cases involving victim minors ............................................................................................................... 34 2. Cases involving defendants who are minors ................................................................................... 36 3. SAM Cases in which the Defendant is Age 21 or Younger ........................................................ 38 D. Sex offender criminal histories and recidivism rates in Alaska............................................. 42 1. The difference between prior criminal history and recidivism ................................................. 42 2. UAA Recidivism Study .............................................................................................................................. 43 3. DOC Recidivism Data ............................................................................................................................... 46 4. Sex Offender Recidivism in Context ................................................................................................... 49 ii III. Alaska’s Sex Offense Sentencing Laws ..................................................................................................... 53 A. Sentencing in Alaska ........................................................................................................................ 53 B. Laws pre-2006 ................................................................................................................................... 56 C. 2006: Senate Bill 218 ........................................................................................................................ 57 D. Incarceration Trends and Research since 2006 ......................................................................... 58 1. Changes in Incarceration ........................................................................................................................ 59 2. Updating the Research ............................................................................................................................ 60 E. Victim Advocate Concerns about Alaska’s Sex Offense Laws ................................................ 61 IV. Sex Offender Treatment and Reentry ....................................................................................................... 62 A. In-Custody Programming ............................................................................................................... 62 B. Out of Custody Programming ....................................................................................................... 64 C. Probation and the Containment Model ...................................................................................... 66 1. Polygraph testing ....................................................................................................................................... 67 2. Risk-Needs-Responsivity ........................................................................................................................ 69 3. Probation and Parole Conditions ........................................................................................................ 70 4. Results of the Containment Model ..................................................................................................... 71 D. Reentry for Rural Alaskans .............................................................................................................. 71 E. Sex Offender Registry ...................................................................................................................... 73 1. State and federal law and the history of registry statutes ......................................................... 73 2. Effectiveness of registry statutes ......................................................................................................... 75 V. Victim Services and Safety ............................................................................................................................. 78 A. Victim Services and Safety: Urban Areas and Rural Hub Communities ............................. 78 1. Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) ............................................................................................ 78 2. Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) ............................................................................................................ 80 3. The Office of Victims’ Rights ................................................................................................................. 81 iii B. Victim Safety in Rural Alaska ......................................................................................................... 82 1. Data ................................................................................................................................................................. 82 2. Testimony ..................................................................................................................................................... 84 C. Alaska Native Perspectives ............................................................................................................. 87 D. A Need for a New Approach ......................................................................................................... 90 E. Prevention programs ....................................................................................................................... 92 VI. Substance Abuse and Sexual Violence ..................................................................................................... 96 VII. Conclusion: Future Tasks and Opportunities ........................................................................................