The number of Alaskans behind bars continues to steadily increase, but that growth isn’t affecting all groups equally.
According to new fact sheet by the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center, which is housed under the University of Alaska Anchorage, data from 2005-2014 show the overall rate of prisoners in Department of Corrections facilities has grown by more than 20 percent.
Imprisonment of women increased the most — up 55 percent from 2005. Nationwide, the number of women in detention is also rising, with no consensus among criminologists about what’s driving the trend.
In Alaska, there’s also a huge jump in what’s called the “pre-trial” population. That includes people awaiting trial, arrested for minor violations, or lacking the means to meet bail requirements. It’s a distinct group from those who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced. The number of pre-trial Alaskans in DOC facilities has risen by 91.6% — almost double what it was a decade ago.
Alaska is one of the few states in the country with one department managing both pre-trial and post-conviction inmates, giving the DOC oversight over a complex population ranging from repeat violent offenders to parking ticket violators.
Editor’s note: We’ve removed an inaccurate figure regarding the number of Alaskans who’ve ever spent time in a DOC facility. We regret the error. We’ve also clarified the increasing rate at which Alaskans are jailed.
