Alaska Restorative Justice Plan (with Expungement Policy)Current Situation / Problem
Too many Alaskans are incarcerated for low-level offenses, including property crimes, public order violations, juvenile offenses, minor domestic conflicts, and low-level drug possession.
This leads to broken families, lost employment opportunities, and high costs for taxpayers (~$187.5M/year for low-level offenses).
Traditional incarceration often fails to address underlying causes of behavior, leading to higher recidivism.
As Governor, I Will:
1. Expand Restorative Justice Programs
- Implement community-based programs that repair harm rather than relying on jail time.
- Use victim-offender mediation, community service, counseling, and peer mentorship where appropriate.
- Offer diversion programs for eligible low-level offenses, keeping people out of the criminal system when possible.
- Property Crimes / Public Order Crimes: Community service, mediation, restitution.
- Juvenile Offenses: Peer mentorship, family counseling, school-based programs.
- Minor Domestic Conflicts: Conflict resolution circles, counseling, monitored rehabilitation.
- Low-Level Drug Possession: Diversion to treatment programs, telehealth counseling, harm reduction initiatives.
- Work with tribal courts and community leaders to adapt restorative programs to local customs and needs.
- Ensure rural access via telehealth, traveling mediators, and mobile support teams.
- Any individual who has served their sentence for a low-level offense, and demonstrates seven consecutive years of good citizenship, will be eligible for automatic expungement of their record.
- Expungement restores employment, housing, education, and professional licensing opportunities, allowing Alaskans to fully reintegrate into their communities.
- This policy complements restorative justice by not only repairing harm but removing systemic barriers that hold people back after they have rehabilitated.
- Estimated cost of implementing statewide restorative justice programs: ~$12M/year.
- Projected net savings for taxpayers: ~$175M/year from reduced incarceration and court costs.
- Reinvest savings into community programs, mental health, education, and rehabilitation services.
- Expand legal frameworks to allow diversion, mediation, alternative sentencing, and expungement eligibility.
- Provide statutory support for restorative justice programs and expungement processes in courts and law enforcement procedures.
- Ensure reporting and transparency to monitor outcomes and efficacy.
- Reduced recidivism and safer communities.
- Families remain intact and Alaskans can stay in the workforce.
- Taxpayer dollars are spent more effectively on programs that actually work.
- Tribal and rural communities have culturally appropriate solutions to justice challenges.
- Alaskans who rehabilitate after low-level offenses are no longer held back by past records.
Alaska’s justice system should hold people accountable while giving them the tools to rebuild their lives. Expanding restorative justice programs — including record expungement after demonstrated rehabilitation — means repairing harm, strengthening families, reducing repeat offenses, and helping Alaskans fully rejoin the workforce and community life. This approach is smart, effective, and fair, giving Alaskans a second chance without compromising public safety.
