Senate votes to overhaul AK criminal justice system

The Senate voted 14 to 5 today to approve a sweeping overhaul of Alaska’s criminal justice system. The action sends the bill to Governor Bill Walker’s desk.
Download Audio
Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole, March 21, 2016. Coghill says the bill is driven both by consensus among the Criminal Justice Commission as well as social science research. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)Senate Bill 91 would allow some low-risk nonviolent offenders to avoid jail time. It also would establish a new p