Dr. Lepage and 5 other UAA faculty to attend team-based learning collaborative conference

Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, received a UAA travel award to attend the Team-based Learning (TBL) Collaborative Conference in San Diego on February 28 - March 1. The mini-grant was funded by WWAMI. the College of Health, and the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE).

Six UAA faculty members received travel awards to attend the conference:  Dr. Lepage from the College of Health, 2 faculty from WWAMI, 1 from CAS, 1 from School of Engineering, and 1 faculty member from the Community and Technical College (CTC).

After the conference, in addition to implementing at least one TBL module into a course,  Dr. Lepage will join the other UAA TBL conference attendees in facilitating 3 TBL sessions for faculty during the spring 2013 semester.

In the Team-Based Learning approach, at the beginning of a course, each student is designated a member of a team. The teams are then given assignments that focus on fostering student interaction as students solve problems using course content. Management of the teams, team accountability, instructor feedback, and assignment design are all integral parts of TBL.

The Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) is a group of educators dedicated to supporting faculty from a variety of disciplines that have implemented, or wish to implement, Team-Based Learning.

Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases Fact Sheet on state and local law enforcement personnel in Alaska 1982 - 2011

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has released, "State and Local Law Enforcement Personnel in Alaska: 1982-2011,"  issue number 3 in its Fact Sheet publication series.  

This report looks at the number of sworn police officers and civilian employees in law enforcement agencies in Alaska, the ratio of sworn police officers to civilian employees, the number of female sworn police officers in law enforcement, and  presents comparisons with national data.  Data are drawn from the annual Crime in Alaska report of the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the FBI's Crime in the United States, both of which are part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) program.

The AJSAC is housed within the UAA Justice Center and publishes a monthly Fact Sheet addressing various crime and criminal justice topics. Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty, is the AJSAC director.

Fall 2012/Winter 2013 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Fall 2012/Winter 2013 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on an integrated approach to mediation, Alaska correctional populations and trends in 2011, U.S. correctional populations in 2011, and a progress update on the Alaska Prisoner Reentry Task Force and the Alaska Five-Year Prisoner Reentry Strategic Plan.

Articles:

"Moving Beyond Brands: Integrating Approaches to Mediation" by Brian Jarrett

Mediation has become a competition among brands vying for distinction based more on market concerns than genuine difference. This is not a positive development for a professional field of endeavor. Mediation has much more to offer than competing claims of superiority that attempt to deride and disparage the competition. This article, which is written from a sociological viewpoint, challenges these claims and suggests that the mediation community should develop instead a broader integrated approach to mediation that is pragmatic, flexible, open-source, and based on a robust theoretical foundation.

"Alaska Correctional Populations 2011"

This article provides a description of Alaska correctional populations in 2011 based upon the Alaska Department of Corrections 2011 offender profile. At the end of 2011, there was a total of 5,727 offenders in prisons, jails, community residential centers, treatment centers, or offsite monitoring programs, and an additonal 5,951 offenders on probation or parole.

"Trends in Alaska Offender Demographics"

An aging offender population, a change in the proportion of offenders sentenced for violent versus non-violent crimes, an increase in offenders in community residential caenters and offiste programs, and an increase in average length of stay for felony and misdemeanor convictions are among the trends in Alaska offender demographics as described in the Alaska Department of Corrections 2011 offender profile.

"U.S. Correctional Populations 2011"

At year-end 2011, 1,504,150 offenders were incarcerated in the U.S. under federal or state jurisdiction, and an additional 735,601 individuals were in custody under local jurisdiction, for a total of 2,239,751 incarcerated individuals in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The U.S. corrections population in 2011 declined for the third consecutive year, but the U.S. continues to lead all other nations in both the rate of incarceration and the actual number of incarcerated persons.

"Alaska Prisoner Reentry Task Force Update"

The Alaska Prisoner Reentry Task Force, a sub-committee of the Criminal Justice Working Group (CJWG), focuses on promoting the goal that individuals released from incarceration do not return to custody. This article presents an update on progress on the The Alaska Five-Year Prisoner Reentry Strategic Plan, 2011–2016, which was released by Task Force in February 2011.

"Staff Changes"

Charlotte Titus has joined the Justice Center staff as office manager.

Panel of experts speak on working in Alaska corrections system on March 1 for National Criminal Justice Month

The  Justice Center, Justice Club, and the Pre-Law Society present the first in a series of lectures for National Criminal Justice Month in March 2013. 

Working in Institutional and Community Corrections

• Anthony Piper, Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) Program Manager, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
• Rebecca Tozer, Probation Officer II, Alaska Department of Corrections
• Lt. Scott Dial & Sgt. Rodney Ramirez, Alaska Department of Corrections  

Date/time: Friday, March 1, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307
Parking is free in the library surface lots.

All events are free and open to UAA students, faculty, staff, and the public.

This is the 3rd annual National Criminal Justice Month series of presentations focusing on criminal justice issues.

Click here for information on all the presentations for National Criminal Justice Month.

Prof. Brandeis invited to address American Constitution Society for Law and Policy in Vermont - via Skype

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Justice faculty,  has been invited to address the Vermont Law School chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) on his work in the field of constitutional law.  Via Skype, he will be a participant in the Career Panel on February 27 which focuses on what it is like to be involved in constitutional law practice.  Law students and members of the Vermont Law School community will be in attendance.

Prof. Brandeis' experience in constitutional law includes his tenure as staff attorney for ACLU of Alaska, and  his work as one of the attorneys who represented Joseph Frederick in Morse v. Frederick (also known as the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case), a student free speech case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007. Prof. Brandeis is a graduate of Vermont Law School.

Attorneys speak to Legal Studies students about ethics in prosecuting and defending criminal cases

Center l to r: Municipal Prosecutor Cynthia Franklin and defense attorney Michael Logue, Gorton & Logue.

Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor Cynthia Franklin, and defense attorney Michael Logue, Gorton & Logue, spoke to students in Prof. Deb Periman's "Legal Ethics and the Role of the Legal Professional" class on February 13.

Discussion focused on the ethical duties of prosecutors and defense counsel under the Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys and on the rules that govern the conduct of prosecutors specifically.  Ms. Franklin and Mr. Logue highlighted the working relationship between prosecutors and defense counsel, and responded to numerous questions from students.

Ms. Franklin has said that her view of prosecutorial ethics is reflected in a quote from Joseph Choate Hodges, a prominent and respected lawyer who practiced in New York at the turn of 20th century: "...while it is his [the prosecutor's] duty to bring to justice those whom he believed guilty, it is equally his duty to protect the innocent and to refrain from prosecuting those against whom no sufficient or reasonable proofs can be found."

L to r: Prof. Deb Periman, J.D.; Municipal Prosecutor Cynthia Franklin; defense counsel Michael Logue.

Justice Club to tour state crime lab on February 27 - sign up today!

Justice Club members and Justice majors are invited to tour the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, Wednesday, February 27, at 4:00 p.m. The tour is limited to 15 students.

If you are interested in going on the tour, email Kyle Mansfield, Justice Club Treasurer, by Monday afternoon.

The Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory is responsible for:
1.    Providing Biological Screening, DNA, latent fingerprint, firearm/toolmark, Blood Alcohol, and drug identification forensic science services to the law enforcement agencies in Alaska;
2.    Providing expert court testimony on lab results of tested evidence;
3.    Administering the statewide breath alcohol testing program; and,
4.    Training law enforcement officers in proper evidence collection and preservation techniques.

Former Justice Center directors engage in publication and research projects

Founding Justice Center Director and former Alaska Attorney General John Havelock is the author of Let's Get It Right: Why We Need An Alaska Constitutional Convention which explores the issues related to the convening of a constitutional convention, and highlights the need for various constitutional revisions to meet changing circumstances.

In 1975, he established the UAA Criminal Justice Center (today called the Justice Center) and served as Director, as well as a professor. During this time,  he also served as Director of Legal Studies for the UA system and developed a statewide major in legal studies. Today the Justice Center offers 5 undergraduate program options in Legal Studies approved by the American Bar Association.

Former Director John Angell is involved in researching and writing a history of the UAA Justice Center. He served as Assistant Director of the Justice Center from 1975 to 1979, and in 1979 became Director. In 1988 Dr. Angell accepted an appointment as Executive Director of the Department of Justice Services for Multnomah County, Oregon. He returned to the position of Director of the Justice Center in 1990 and retired in 1997.  He currently serves as Justice emeritus faculty.

Pre-Law Society web page is live! Check it out!

Check out the Pre-Law Society web page! Membership is open to all UAA students who are considering going to law school or any other career as a legal professional. 

Faculty advisors are Professor Ryan Fortson, J.D. - hrfortson@uaa.alaska.edu -  and Professor Jason Brandeis, J.D. -  jbrandeis@uaa.alaska.edu.

Prof. Periman chairs drafting committee for Alaska Youth Law Guide - now online!

The Alaska Youth Law Guide: A Handbook for Teens and Young Adults, a web project  of the Alaska Bar Association Law Related Education (LRE) Committee, is now online.  Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., was chair of the drafting subcommittee for the guide; Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., was also a member of the law guide subcommittee. Former adjunct faculty member Virginia Rusch served as principal editor. Barbara Armstrong, editor of the Alaska Justice Forum; Toni Moras, former Alaska Justice Forum editor; and Legal Studies faculty members Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D. and Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D. were also among the more than 50 volunteers, lawyer and non-lawyer, who participated in this project.

 The website is a public education resource presented by the Alaska Bar Association Law Related Education Committee to help young Alaskans understand the law and how it may affect them. It provides general information about many of the legal issues teens and young adults are likely to encounter, and resources for getting more information or assistance. A number of other states also have youth law guides to assist young people in understanding and navigating the legal system.

Nearly 150 articles appear in chapters on Law Enforcement; Sex, Drugs & Rock n' Roll; Entering the Real World; Cars and Guns; Family Life; and Schools. Art work was selected from entries in the 2011 "Justice For All" art contest sponsored by the Alaska Court System and the Alaska Bar Law Related Education Committee.

Dr. Rivera's research on underage drinking cited in DHSS report "Alaska's Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking"

Research by Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, has been cited in the report, Alaska's Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking, just released by the Alaska Committee to Prevent Underage Drinking,  Division of Behavioral Health, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

Dr. Rivera's studies, Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: Identification of Indicators (2010) and Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons (2012) are both cited in the report.  Her 2011 Mutual of America Foundation for a Community Partnership Award for her research on underage drinking in partnership with the Volunteers of  America (VOA) Alaska Juvenile Alcohol Safety Action Program is also noted.   

Dr. Rivera's reports on underage drinking can be found on the Justice Center website.

Recap: selected media reports of results from the Alaska Victimization Survey

Results from the Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) have been reported in a number of media articles. Below are some media mentions that have not been previously noted. A fuller list of  media articles about AVS data can be found on the AVS webpage.

“Survey reflects shocking side of Alaska,” André Rosay and Lauree Morton, Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Community Xtra! (print only), Nov. 14, 2012,  - this Compass piece originally appeared in the ADN November 5, 2012 online and on November 6 in print.

"Healthy relationship skills can prevent domestic violence," Inside JBER, Sept. 26, 2012, Chris McCann, JBER Public Affairs, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage - discusses 2011 regional results for the Municipality of Anchorage.

"Survey Sheds Light on High Victimization Rates in Alaska," ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 2, 2012 - discusses the 2010 statewide results and 2011 regional results.

"Survey shows high rates of violence against women in Alaska,"  Dan Bross, KUAC-FM 89.9, Fairbanks Public Radio, October 8, 2012 - discusses Alaska Victimization Survey, data through 2011, and goals of the research. Includes interview with Dr. André Rosay.

Opinion: : “Rampant to Rare – Domestic Violence in Alaska," Governor Sean Parnell, Juneau Empire.com, October 13, 2012 - discusses Choose Respect Initiative and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Community Perspective: “Gain courage together: Alaskans all can ‘choose respect’," Governor Sean Parnell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - newsminer.com, March 20, 2012 - refers to AVS Fairbanks regional survey data and Choose Respect Initiative.

AVS data is also presented in the the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee Video which focuses on young people and promotes healthy relationships (see below). The video presents data from the 2010 Statewide Alaska Victimization Survey and the 2010 Olweus Bulling Questionnaire/Blatchley Middle School Report. It notes the relationship between domestic violence and bullying, and documents a conversation about bullying and its antidote: community, connection, and belonging. The video was uploaded to vimeo.com in summer 2012.

Complete results of AVS data released to date are available on the AVS webpage. 
 
Sitka Youth Leadership Committee Video from Hannah Guggenheim on Vimeo.

Prof. Fortson speaks on behalf of Anchorage Bar Association at installation of Court of Appeals Judge Allard

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Justice faculty, spoke on behalf of the Anchorage Bar Association at the February 1, 2013 installation of Alaska Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Allard.  Prof. Fortson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Anchorage Bar Association.

Judge Allard is the first woman appointed to the Alaska Court of Appeals.

Photo caption:
L to r: Prof. Ryan Fortson, Anchorage Bar Association; Vicky Allard, mother of Judge Allard; Ruth Botstein, Department of Law Assistant Attorney General; Alaska Court of Appeals Chief  Judge David Mannheimer; William Findley, son of Judge Allard; Matt Findley, spouse of Judge Allard; Alaska Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Allard; Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Dana Fabe; 3rd Judicial District Superior Court Presiding Judge Sen Tan; Susie Dosik, Alaska Judicial Council; Don McClintock, Alaska Bar Association Board of Governors; Jim Allard, father of Judge Allard. (Photo by Barbara Hood, Alaska Court System.)

UAA volunteers at 11th annual Project Homeless Connect

UAA community volunteers, l to r: Barbara Armstrong
and Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center. Not pictured:
Justice alum Heather MacAlpine, and Susan Hviid,
Consortium Library Dean's Office.

Members of the UAA community volunteered at the 11th annual  Anchorage Project Homeless Connect (PHC) held at the Egan Center on Wednesday, January 29, 2013.  The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness presents this day-long program each year with the help of community sponsors and volunteers. The goal is to move our community closer to ending homelessness.

UAA community volunteers included Dr. Sharon Chamard, faculty, Justice Center; Barbara Armstrong,editor, Alaska Justice Forum, Justice Center; Justice alum Heather MacAlpine, Muni of Anchorage Associate Ombudsman; and Susan Hviid, Administrative Assistant, UAA/APU Consortium Library Dean's Office.

This event brings together service providers and government agencies under one roof to assist homeless persons in identifying their top 3 issues of concern, and then links individuals with the appropriate provider.  Hospitality is an important part of the day and a lunch is offered to attendees, as well as canned food items to take with them.  Similar programs are presented in cities across the United States.

The initial interview with each attendee also presents an opportunity for collecting information about who is homeless and why.  This data is aggregated and provides a tool to assist service providers and government agencies in policy making and structuring services. During the January 29 event, 730 people checked in and were invited to meet with various service providers. About 200 individuals volunteered at the event. Click here for a copy of the report on the 2013 PHC.

The article "A Look at Homelessness in Alaska" in Alaska Justice Forum 26(2) Summer 2009 looked at data for the homeless in Alaska for the years 2007–2009.

Don't miss this 3rd annual series of events for National Criminal Justice Month in March!

The  Justice Center, Justice Club, and the Pre-Law Society are sponsoring a series of lectures for National Criminal Justice Month in March.  This is the 3rd annual series of presentations focusing on criminal justice issues.

All events are free and open to UAA students, faculty, staff, and the public. The series will be held in the UAA/APU Consortium Library, 3rd floor, LIB 307.  Parking is free in the library surface lots.

Friday, March 1, 2013 – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Working in Institutional and Community Corrections

• Anthony Piper, Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) Program Manager, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
• Rebecca Tozer, Probation Officer II, Alaska Department of Corrections
• Lt. Scott Dial & Sgt. Rodney Ramirez, Alaska Department of Corrections 

Thursday, March 7, 2013 – 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Gideon v. Wainwright: Celebrating 50 Years of Public Defenders for Criminal Offenses and a Proposal for a “Civil Gideon”

• Prof. Richard Curtner, Federal Defender, Federal Defender’s Office 
• Michael Schwaiger, Assistant Public Defender, Alaska Public Defender Agency 
• Nikole Nelson, Executive Director, Alaska Legal Services Corporation

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (note different start time)
Tribal Courts in Alaska: Past, Present, and Future

• Walt Monegan, Alaska Native Justice Center CEO, Moderator 
• Kevin Illingworth, Tribal Management Program Head and Assistant Professor, Interior-Aleutians Campus, UAF 
• Lisa Jaeger, Tribal Government Specialist, Tanana Chiefs Conference
• Natalie Landreth, Staff Attorney, Native American Rights Fund
• Magistrate Judge Christopher McLain, Alaska Court System

Dr. Rivera presents on youth alcohol use to Anchorage Youth Development Coalition

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, discusses her research on youth alcohol use at the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition meeting on February 11 in Anchorage.  Her co-presenter for  "Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol: Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska,"  will be Charlie Daniels of Volunteers of America Alaska (VOA Alaska ). 

The presentation is based on Dr Rivera's report, Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: 2012 Update, prepared for Volunteers of America Alaska Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) Project.

A report was initially prepared for the CMCA Project by Dr. Rivera in 2010 identifying indicators of youth alcohol access, consumption, and consequences in Anchorage and/or Alaska. The purpose of that original indicators report was to provide a baseline description of the underage drinking problem prior to the implementation of CMCA efforts. The 2012 update looks at the current underage drinking problem in Anchorage and/or Alaska and assesses changes to the problem that have taken place over time. 

Pre-Law Society meets Friday, February 8, 2:00 p.m.

The Pre-Law Society meets:
Day:   Friday, February 8
Time:  2:00 p.m.
Place: By the Library Circulation Desk

The Pre-Law Society meets every other Friday at 2:00 p.m. in the Library.

The Pre-Law Society provides students interested in law school with forums for networking with attorneys,  important information pertaining to the application process, workshops, guest speakers, and resume building opportunities.  Open to all UAA students who are considering going to law school or any other career as a legal professional.

Our web page will be up soon! Contact Judson Adams, President, at jcadams3@alaska.edu. Pre-Law Society faculty advisors are Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., and Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D.

Officers:
President- Judson Adams jcadams3@alaska.edu
Vice President- Derek Witte dcwitte@alaska.edu
Treasurer- Joshua Johnson jjohnson17@alaska.edu
Secretary- Corey Hester     cahester2@uaa.gmail.edu
Faculty advisors - Professor Fortson hrfortson@uaa.alaska.edu and Professor Brandeis jbrandeis@uaa.alaska.edu

Don't forget Justice Club meets Friday, February 8, at 11:00 a.m.

Justice Club meets:
Day:    Friday, February 8
Time:   11:00 a.m.
Where: UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 207B

Agenda:
1.  Visit to JBER - sponsored by Alaska Air National Guard - date TBA
2.  Tour of State Crime Lab - Wednesday, February 27, 4:00 p.m. - Limit: 15 students
3.  National Criminal Justice Month programs


SAVE THE DATES for National Criminal Justice Month in March 2013! 
 Sponsored by the Justice Club and the Pre-Law Society. Special presentations are all in the UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307:

• Friday, March 1, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.- Department of Corrections, Community Corrections, Probation Officers
• Thursday, March 7, 6:30 -7:30 p.m.  - Gideon v. Wainwright: Celebrating 50 Years of Public Defenders for Criminal Offenses and a Proposal for a "Civil Gideon"
• Wednesday, March 27, 7:00 - 9:00  p.m. - Tribal Courts in Alaska: Past, Present, and Future

Dr. Rivera publishes update on underage drinking in Anchorage

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, has released her most recent report on underage drinking:

•  Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: 2012 Update (December 2012).

This research and the earlier reports listed below were conducted for Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA), a program of Volunteers of America (VOA) Alaska.

• Anchorage Underage Drinking Survey: A Look at Adult Attitudes, Perceptions, and Norms ( July 2012)
• Youth Alcohol Access, Consumption, and Consequences in Anchorage, Alaska: Identification of Indicators (December 2010) 

Justice Club and Pre-Law Society recruit members at Student Involvement Fair

Justice Club president Daniel Reinhard invites students to join.

The UAA Justice Club and the Pre-Law Society were among the student organizations that participated in  the Student Involvement Fair on January 30 at the Student Union. Dozens of student clubs, Greek life, and other campus resource groups were at this event to showcase all the activities and opportunities available through UAA.

The Justice Club brings together students interested in the Justice field. We meet regularly to exchange information on relevant Justice topics, hear guest speakers, travel on field trips to Justice facilities, and to act as a support and social network for students and faculty in the UAA Justice program. Justice Club is open to all UAA students regardless of major. Contact Daniel Reinhard, President, at dreinhard@alaska.edu. Justice Club faculty advisors are Dr. Troy Payne and Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D.

The Pre-Law Society provides students interested in law school with forums for networking with attorneys,  important information pertaining to the application process, workshops, guest speakers, and resume building opportunities.  Open to all UAA students who are considering going to law school or any other career as a legal professional. Our web page will be up soon! Contact Judson Adams, President, at jcadams3@alaska.edu. Pre-Law Society faculty advisors are Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., and Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D.

L to r: Pre-Law Society president Judson Adams and Justice Club
president Daniel Reinhard take a break from discussing plans for
National Criminal Justice Month events in March.