Dr. Troy C. Payne, an associate professor in the Justice Center, recently was part of a group of professors from various higher-learning institutions that led CrimCon—short for Criminology Consortium, a nonprofit corporation—an academic criminology and criminal justice conference held virtually from Nov. 18 to 20.
Assistant Professor Rob Henderson brings experience as a long-time Alaska prosecutor—and as an alum of the Justice Center himself. Now he’s ready to inspire students pursuing their own legal and justice careers.
A panel of officials from the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) discussed how Alaska tackles the job of providing mental health care to juvenile and adult correctional populations. Nationally, more than half of prison and jail inmates have mental health problems, and probation/parole departments provide essential mental health services to their clients.
The Anchorage Police Department has recently increased community policing efforts, including adding foot patrols in some areas around Anchorage. APD and community leaders discussed current efforts at reducing crime, reducing fear of crime, and improving police-community relations.
"Criminal Justice Reform: A discussion of Senate Bill 91 — Reducing the prison population while enhancing public safety" was a discussion of Senate Bill 91: Omnibus Criminal Law & Procedure; Corrections Act. SB 91, based upon recommendations of the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, was signed into law in Alaska in July 2016.
