168: Alaska’s Brief Moment of Criminal Justice Reform and their Turn to Tough on Crime Policies w/ Mike Garvey and Megan Edge

Today, Hunter spoke with Michael Garvey and Megan Edge of the ACLU of Alaska to examine the policy history of Alaska that has made it such a pro carceral state. For a brief moment in the mid 2010’s, Alaska looked like it would start to turn towards a more rehabilitative model for its criminal legal system. Unfortunately, current Governor Mike Dunleavy had different plans. With his election in 2018, the state shifted right back to its history of being tough on crime and pro carceral. Now, the state is still one of the highest incarcerators in the world, but with little change in the rates of violent crime. Michael and Megan breakdown what that means for the people of Alaska and what can be done about it.