Senate Bill 85
"An Act relating to sentencing and to the earning of good time deductions for certain sexual offenses."
PDF: http://www.hollisfrenchforsenate.com/pdf/SB085_ss_sen_french.pdf
SB 85 -- "An Act relating to sentencing and to the earning of good time deductions for certain sexual offenses" addresses a pressing public safety issue in Alaska. Our state has long had one of the highest rates of reported rapes per capita in the nation, ranking first among all states for 19 of the last 26 years, including 2001. It is time to do something about this undistinguished -- and shameful -- rating and to provide additional protection for Alaska's women and children, the most frequent victims of sexual crimes.
SB 85 addresses this issue by focusing on the worst of the worst - repeat sexual offenders, those who have been convicted of a sex offense and subsequently commit another sexual crime. SB 85 has two purposes: first, to increase the penalties for repeat sex offenders and, second, to reduce the rate at which repeat sex offenders earn "good time" while incarcerated.
SB 85 is designed to treat repeat sex offenders differently from other repeat felons. Research has shown that sexual offenders are not like other offenders. As noted in a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) research report on managing adult sex offenders, sex crimes flourish in secrecy. Many offenders are otherwise highly functioning and use their social skills to commit their crimes and to manipulate both victims and criminal justice officials. Offenders are often very accomplished at presenting a facade designed to hide the truth about themselves. Many sex offenders commit a wide range and large number of sexually deviant acts during their lives and show a continued propensity to offend. The NIJ study concludes that adult offenders who commit sex crimes should be managed, treated, and supervised differently from other criminals.
Current statutory guidelines in Alaska, however, treat all two-time felons as though they were the same, that is, all prior felony convictions are given equal weight when an individual is sentenced on a new offense. For example, a judge sentencing a person convicted of a second forgery or a second sexual offense has to operate under the same sentencing guidelines. SB 85 establishes a separate, and more stringent, set of sentencing guidelines for those who commit second or subsequent sexual offenses or commit a sexual felony after a prior felony conviction.
The other proposed change in the law affects the rate at which prisoners who are
repeat sexual offenders can earn "good time" or a reduction in their prison terms for good behavior. Under current law, most prisoners, including sexual offenders, can earn a one-third reduction of their sentences for good behavior. SB 85 would reduce the rate at which repeat sexual offenders earn good time to one-sixth. Repeat sexual offenders will be required to serve more of their sentences in prison, rather that on parole in the community.
By increasing sentences for repeat sexual offenses and actual time served for these offenses, SB 85 will help to protect Alaska's women and children from some of the most heinous crimes against them, sexual felonies.
I urge your support of this legislation. | 
