Senate Judiciary Committee forwards parole-board nominee after questions on geriatric parole and recidivism

The Senate Judiciary Committee on April 13 voted to forward Steve Meyer9s nomination to the State Board of Parole to a joint session after a confirmation hearing that focused on geriatric and medical parole and the parole board9s role in recidivism.

Meyer, who identified himself as a Kenai resident since 1971, told the committee he has served on the parole board for 10 years and described a background in commercial fishing, oil-field contracting and law enforcement. "We have granted very few people special medical parole based on medical issues," Meyer said, adding that statutory eligibility criteria and public-safety concerns limit grants for geriatric parole.

Senator Tobin pressed Meyer on the board9s near-nonuse of geriatric parole and urged reconsideration of statutory criteria that can exclude otherwise frail people. "The Alaska Constitution does guarantee the right to rehabilitation," Tobin said, and expressed concern that declining discretionary and geriatric parole rates raise constitutional and fiscal questions. Meyer acknowledged the board weighs whether a person could commit a similar offense in the future and said that public safety is "always" the board9s first concern while suggesting there may be ways to "brainstorm" adjustments to expand eligibility.

Another senator asked about Alaska9s high recidivism rates and whether the parole board can improve reentry outcomes. Meyer said the board can set parole conditions and recommend programming, such as drug treatment and transitional housing, but has limited control over community supports and supervision resources once people are released.

After the questioning, Senator Keogh moved that the judiciary committee, having reviewed Meyer9s qualifications, forward the nominee to a joint session for consideration. The committee recorded the motion on the record and completed paperwork to forward the nomination; no roll-call vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

The nomination will be considered in the legislature9s joint session. The committee recessed and announced it will reconvene April 15 at 1:30 p.m. to continue confirmation hearings.