Summer/Fall 2016 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum released

The Summer/Fall 2016 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum has been released and contains the articles noted below.

Click here to read the PDF of this issue.

Articles:
"Recover Alaska: Healing Alaska's Alcohol Problems" by Marny Rivera and Tiffany Hall
"Therapeutic Courts in the Alaska Court System" by Barbara Armstrong
"Alaska Felony Sentencing Patterns: Selected Findings" by Teresa White Carns
"Teens Acting Against Violence and the 40 Developmental Assets" by Khristy Parker

Dr. Rivera presents about data collection and evaluation of Recover Alaska program

L to r: Dr. David Tarcy; Tiffany Hall, Recover Alaska
Executive Director; and Dr. Marny Rivera pose for a
photo at the end of the meeting.  They are holding
Cook Inlet glacial clay tiles by Alaska Native artist
Ed Mighell which were presented to them
by Southcentral Foundation.

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, is part of the evaluation team that recently presented on "Measuring Progress: Recover Alaska Data Collection and Evaluation."  Dr. Rivera and Dr. David Tarcy, Alaska Research and Evaluation Services, made their presentation on July 14 at the Recover Alaska Steering Committee meeting.

Recover Alaska is a statewide effort supported by the Rasmuson Foundation, The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Mat-Su Health Foundation, State of Alaska-Department of Health and Social Services, Southcentral Foundation, and other stakeholders to "reduce the harm caused by excessive consumption of alcohol in our state."

The focus of the evaluation is two-fold: (1) to provide constructive, ongoing information to inform and facilitate joint efforts to reduce the harm caused by excessive consumption of alcohol in Alaska, and (2) to assess both the process and outcomes of Recover Alaska at the state level. It is anticipated that this will be a multi-year evaluation project.

Earlier this year, Recover Alaska launched the campaign, "Day 001 - Voices of Recovery." This video series has been airing on television.

SB 165 on alcohol law reforms passed by Alaska Legislature - Dr. Rivera participated in reviewing statutes and proposing changes

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, was a member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (now the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office) work groups that reviewed Title IV statutes on alcohol, and proposed some of the changes in SB 165 passed by the Alaska Legislature in April.

The reforms include a change in penalties for minors in possession of alcohol offenses making them violations instead of misdemeanors. Additional changes to Title IV will be proposed to the legislature for their consideration next session.

Dr. Rivera is part of evaluation team for Recover Alaska

Dr.  Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, is part of the evaluation team for Recover Alaska, a statewide effort supported by the Rasmuson Foundation, The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Mat-Su Health Foundation, State of Alaska-Department of Health and Social Services, Southcentral Foundation, and other stakeholders to "reduce the harm caused by excessive consumption of alcohol in our state."

Dr. Rivera and Dr. David Tarcy with Alaska Research and Evaluation Services, submitted the winning proposal for the competitive evaluation contract for this project.  The focus of the evaluation is two-fold: 1) to provide constructive, ongoing information to inform and facilitate joint efforts to reduce the harm caused by excessive consumption of alcohol in Alaska, and  2) to assess both the process and outcomes of Recover Alaska at the state level. It is anticipated that this will be a multi-year evaluation project.

Recover Alaska recently launched the campaign, "Day 001 - Voices of Recovery." This video series is airing on television. They are asking for feedback about the series.  Click here to take the survey on Facebook.

AJSAC Fact Sheet released - Alaska Trauma Registry: Trauma Admissions Involving Alcohol or Illegal Drugs, 2014

The most recent issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet — "Alaska Trauma Registry: Trauma Admissions Involving Alcohol or Illegal Drugs, 2014" — presents data from the Alaska Trauma Registry (ATR) on numbers of trauma admissions, patient demographics, and the presence of alcohol or illegal drugs in trauma admissions in 2014.

The fact sheet is by Khristy Parker of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC).

Dr. Rivera presents to Division of Behavioral Health grantees about research on substance abuse

Dr. Rivera (far right at head table) discusses her research on underage drinking.

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, presented at the Alaska Division of Behavioral Health Annual Prevention Grantee Conference on September 25.

She participated in the "Policy and Enforcement: Tales from Alaskan Communities" panel which looked at policy, enforcement, research, and the challenges and successes related to managing alcohol use and abuse in Alaska.

Dr. Rivera discussed research on Alaska’s alcohol control policies and enforcement of them. Her areas of expertise include underage drinking and substance abuse as well as the co-occurrence of substance abuse with child maltreatment, and violence against women.

Research by Dr. Rivera noted in Anchorage Daily News compass piece on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board

Research by Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, was noted in a July 2 Anchorage Daily News compass piece, "Alaska Commerce commissioner no friend to alcohol enforcement," by Shirley Coté, former director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Ms. Cote referred to a study by Dr. Rivera and Khristy Parker, Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons: A Preliminary Report.

Summer 2013 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Summer 2013 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum includes articles on reducing sales of alcohol to underage persons, leading causes of death including homicide and suicide, experience of racism in Anchorage, selection and evaluation of Alaska judges since 1984, and an update from the Criminal Justice Working Group. The 16-page issue includes the following articles:

"Reducing Sales of Alcohol to Underage Persons in Alaska" by Marny Rivera and Shirley Coté

As part of the strategy to reduce sales of alcohol to underage persons, the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board) has utilized ABC enforcement officers and underage volunteers to conduct compliance checks at retail establishments in Alaska for well over a decade. This article looks at the compliance check program in Alaska and the comprehensive effort required to reduce retail alcohol access to underage persons. Includes a brief bibliography of studies and articles on underage alcohol and tobacco prevention programs.

"Leading Causes of Death 2007–2010" by Sharon Chamard

This article reviews the most current data on the leading causes of death in Alaska and the United States as a whole, then focuses more closely on homicide and suicide. Homicide and/or suicide were among the five leading causes of death for ages 5 through 64 in Alaska during 2007–2009 and for ages 0 (birth) to 54 nationally in 2010. Data are derived from the National Vital Statistics Reporting Program (NVSR) and the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. Includes a brief bibliography of resources on suicide and suicide prevention in Alaska.

"Experience of Racism in Anchorage" by Melissa S. Green and Sharon Chamard

This article looks at experiences of racism reported by adults in the Municipality of Anchorage who responded to the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey (ACS). About one-third of all respondents answered Yes at least when asked about whether they had experienced racism in nine different situations. Experience of racism was reported by members of all races/ethnicities, but the percentage of whites/Caucasians who reported such experiences was far lower in most situations than for other races/ethnicities.

"Selecting and Evaluating Alaska’s Judges: 1984–2012" by Teresa White Carns

Alaska chooses and retains judges through a merit selection process established by the Alaska Constitution and administered by the Alaska Judicial Council. which is designed to select the best judges possible and provide accountability to the public. This article highlights findings of the Council's third report on judicial selection and retention, describing characteristics, legal experience, and bar survey ratings of judicial applicants, nominees, and appointees from 1984 to 2012.

"Criminal Justice Working Group Update" by Teresa White Carns

An update on current work being conducted by the Criminal Justice Working Group (CWCG): a pilot electronic discovery project in Juneau; results of a study on how court-appointed counsel in criminal cases are appointed; information-sharing among criminal justice agencies; the Prisoner Re-Entry Task Force; and juveniles in the adult criminal justice system. CWCG is coordinated and staffed by the Alaska Judicial Council.

"Faculty News"

Dr. André Rosay has returned from Washington, D.C., and resumed his duties as Director of the Justice Center.

Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases Fact Sheet on DUI/DWI Arrests in Alaska: 2000–2011

The August 2013 issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet presents data on driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrests made by Alaska police agencies for the period 2000 through 2011. The report describes overall rates of arrest for DUI/DWI during the 12-year period, as well as DUI/DWI arrest rates by major law enforcement agency, by sex, and by race. Data is drawn from the annual Crime in Alaska report of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which represents the State of Alaska's contribution to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) program. The Fact Sheet is by Dr. Brad A. Myrstol, director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC).

Dr. Myrstol and Dr. Wood interviewed for Alaska Dispatch article on "Alaska's failed war on booze"

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty and director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center, and Dr. Darryl Wood, Justice affiliate faculty, Washington State University Vancouver, were interviewed for the Alaska Dispatch article by Craig Medred, "Perils of Prohibition: Alaska's failed war on booze," posted online on September 4.

Dr. Myrstol discussed his research on "The Alcohol-Related Workload of Patrol Officers" which examined police perceptions of time-spent on alcohol-related incidents and actual time spent on those incidents.  Dr. Wood described his studies on on alcohol prohibitions in rural Alaska and their outcomes, and noted that there was not a long enough follow-up period on the alcohol interdiction project which he studied to determine if it had had an effect.

Both faculty members point out that other factors, not just alcohol, need to be examined when researching the problems in rural areas of Alaska.

Research by Dr. Myrstol and Dr. Wood on the issue of alcohol includes:

Drug and Alcohol-Related Workload of Anchorage Patrol Officers: Results From Two Patrol Officer Surveys by Brad A. Myrstol, N. E. Schafer, and Matthew J. Giblin (2003).
The Police Alcohol-Related Services Study (PASS): A Study of the Intersection of Public Alcohol Use and Routine Police Patrol by Brad A. Myrstol and Robert H. Langworthy (2004).
Police Alcohol-Related Services Study (PASS), Phase II: A Description of the Beliefs, Perceptions and Attitudes of Anchorage Police Department Employees by Brad A. Myrstol and Robert H. Langworthy (2005).
"Measures of Outcomes Associated With Alcohol Abuse in Alaska" by Darryl S. Wood, Alaska Justice Forum 21(1) (Spring 2004).
"Local Alcohol Prohibition, Police Presence and Serious Injury in Isolated Alaska Native Villages" By Darryl S. Wood and Paul J. Gruenewald, Addiction 101: 393-403 (Mar 2006). (Contact Dr. Wood for a copy of the report - darrylwood@vancouver.wsu.edu)
Evaluation of the Rural Alaska Alcohol Interdiction, Investigation, and Prosecution Program by Michael Shively, Darryl Wood,  Lauren Olsho, William Rhodes, and Meg Chapman (2009).

Dr. Rivera presents to joint meeting of state Alcohol Beverage Control Board subcommittees

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, presented to a joint meeting of two subcommittees of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on June 12.

She discussed her report, "Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons," issued January 19, 2012, and provided an overview of research on this topic to the Underage Drinking Subcommittee and the Role of the ABC Board Subcommittee.

Click here for her PowerPoint presentation on "Strategies to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons."  

Dr. Rivera is a member of both the Role of the ABC Board and the Underage Drinking subcommittees. One of her research areas is substance abuse, with a focus on underage drinking.

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. 

Dr. Rosay discusses collaborative research on juvenile substance abuse at Reclaiming Futures event

Far l to r: Bill Hall, moderator, and Susan Richardson, Reclaiming Futures National Executive Director,
open the program.

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center, presented at the panel discussion and reception sponsored by the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and Volunteers of America - Alaska (VOA-Alaska) on November 20, 2012. Dr. Rosay discussed his collaborative research with VOA-Alaska and DJJ on juvenile substance abuse, and the impact on treatment completion and recidivism that the Reclaiming Futures Anchorage program has had in Alaska. Results of the evaluation showed that youth who participated in Reclaiming Futures were more likely to complete treatment, and were less likely to recidivate.

The reception honored the 10th anniversary of Reclaiming Futures and was attended by Susan Richardson, Reclaiming Futures National Executive Director.

The Reclaiming Futures model for juvenile substance abuse treatment has been used in 29 communities, large and small, rural and urban, in 17 states, including one Indian reservation.  It has been used in Anchorage for the past ten years and has brought together judges, juvenile justice professionals, treatment providers and community leaders to identify how juvenile courts can provide substance abuse treatment teens need to help them be successful.

L to r: Dr. André Rosay; Linda Moffitt, Reclaiming Futures
Volunteer; Lee Post, DJJ Juvenile Probation
Supervisor; Glen Kratochvil, VOA Restorative Justice
Director.

Reclaiming Futures is an initiative created in 2001 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that offers a new approach to helping teenagers caught in the cycle of drugs, alcohol and crime.  The national office of Reclaiming Futures is housed in the Regional Research Institute of the School of Social Work at Portland State University. www.reclaimingfutures.org.

L to r: Susan Richardson, Reclaiming Futures National
Executive Director; Dr. André Rosay; Karin Schaff, VOA
Alaska Treatment Services Director; Jeff Jessee;
Alaska Mental Health Trust Chief Executive Officer.

 

Drs. Chamard and Payne attend program on breath alcohol ignition interlock devices for DUI convictions

Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, recently attended a two-day National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) workshop on breath alcohol automobile ignition interlock devices for people convicted of DUI in Alaska. Attendees included representatives from the Alaska Highway Safety Office, the Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), Alaska Department of Public Safety,  Department of Corrections, Department of Motor Vehicles, Alaska State Troopers, Juneau Police Department, and other law enforcement, as well other agencies involved in this effort. The device is in use in a number of other states.

The technical assistance workshop was presented by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in partnership with NHTSA and  included a report on the status of the current interlock program in Alaska and recommendations for increasing program participation.

Dr. Rivera publishes report for Alaska ABC Board on analysis of strategies to reduce underage tobacco and alcohol sales

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, has published a report for the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, "An Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons: A Preliminary Report."  Khristy Parker, Research Specialist, is a co-author of the report.

The study was requested by the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) which is responsible for enforcing age-of-sale laws, and focuses on identifying ways enforcement practices for alcohol sales could be modified to achieve higher compliance rates with age-of-sale laws, comparable to those seen in tobacco enforcement.

Among the study recommendations are:

• Amending ABC Board regulations to implement a penalty structure that includes mandatory license suspensions, revocations, and mandatory fines.
• Increasing the number of compliance checks at each licensed location in the state.
• Enhancing funding and resources for merchant education and compliance check enforcement efforts.
• Developing a multi-pronged underage drinking reduction strategy.
• Collecting data and evaluating enforcement efforts to assess effectiveness of strategies.

Data from the report were presented by the ABC Board to the Alaska Legislature in February of this year.

Dr. Myrstol publishes article in "Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management"

An article by Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty, on "The Alcohol-related Workload of Patrol Officers" has been published in the current issue of Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Volume 35, Number 1, 2012.

The article reports findings from Dr. Myrstol's research examining the intersection of citizen alcohol use and police patrol. Topics addressed include the prevalence of alcohol-related tasks performed by patrol officers, the amount of time patrol officers dedicate to alcohol-related tasks, the nature and contextual features of alcohol-related encounters, and the characteristics of citizens involved in alcohol-related incidents.

The journal is interdisciplinary and wide-ranging in scope, covering the latest international developments in policy, practice, management, operations, education and training, science, and technology. The worldwide readership includes senior police officers and policy makers, as well as academics teaching and researching in this field.

Dr. Rivera participates in UAA Alcohol Awareness event

UPD Lt. Scott Chafin (left) and Dr. Rivera at the Justice Center display.

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, participated in the UAA Alcohol Awareness Week event held Wednesday, October 26, at the Student Cafeteria.  The "Wii Happy Hour" included pizza, "mocktails," a chance to wear "drunk goggles" to test your equilibrium, and displays by the Justice Center, the University Police Department Drug Paraphernelia, Student Health and Counseling, and others.

The Justice Center display highlighted recent research on college-age drinking and included data from the 2010 survey of UAA students. This event was part of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and was coordinated by the UAA Dean of Students Office.

(l to r) Dr. Rivera and Justice majors Mary Dombroski and Kristen Crain-Robinson enjoy pizza while looking at research data.

Dr. Rivera awarded contract by ABC Board to analyze strategies to reduce sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, has been awarded a contract by the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to conduct a policy analysis of strategies designed to reduce the sale of tobacco and alcohol to underage persons and to analyze data on compliance with laws prohibiting such sales. The policy analysis will include a review of other research and studies on this topic and an exploration of the kinds of influences (social climate, enforcement, sanctions) that affect compliance/violation of laws prohibiting tobacco and alcohol sales to underage persons. This report will also assess the impact of the municipal code requiring identifications checks for all alcohol purchases.

Research Overview: Underage drinking

Underage drinking is the topic of the most recent Justice Center Research Overview.

"Problems and Costs Associated With Underage Drinking" by Khristy Parker presents the most recent information (2007) on the public problems and costs of underage drinking in the U.S. and in Alaska, and describes the response to the problem of underage drinking in Alaska. In 2007, Alaska was ranked 39th among U.S. states for total costs of underage drinking, but had the highest costs of underage drinking per youth — nearly twice the national average.

See also the Justice Center website for related publications on alcohol and alcohol abuse and on juvenile delinquency.

Dr. Rosay quoted in ADN article on "safety hour" for bars

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, was quoted in the October 17, 2009 Anchorage Daily News article about the Anchorage Assembly's consideration of a "safety hour" for bars. The proposed ordinance would allow bars to keep their doors open one hour after official closing time to allow more time for people to get cabs and get home safely. Dr. Rosay noted that the Justice Center has not specifically researched whether its data supports the proposed ordinance, but statistics indicate a safety hour could help.