Recidivism is a problem Alaskans can solve

Alaska is the birthplace of social innovation. We’ve been solving complex social challenges for centuries. An elder once shared with me, “At one point in our history, someone looked out at the vast ocean, saw a whale and thought, "That would feed my entire village.” I’ve never forgotten his story or his resounding point that Alaskans take care of each other and we’re willing to go to great lengths to do so. When we work together, we can accomplish anything. Among the many complex challenges we face today, there is one that Alaskans can lead the nation in solving: ongoing criminal activity and addiction.

Alaska, like the rest of the United States, is currently plagued by the impacts of crime related to drug and alcohol addiction. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority recently reported that 25,450 Alaskans were victims of crimes directly attributed to drug and alcohol misuse in 2017. The staggering total cost of these crimes to the victims and to our criminal justice system was over $2.3 billion, with an average cost of $90,923 per crime.

The relationship between addiction and the revolving door of criminal recidivism is readily apparent. Nearly 80% of incarcerated Alaskans have a substance abuse disorder. Within the first two weeks after release, these individuals are 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose. Should they survive this time period, 61% of them will be reincarcerated within the next three years. From years 4-9, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 83% of these individuals will likely be rearrested.

Just as troubling, 92% of Alaskans returning to incarceration still require substance abuse treatment. We can do better. This tragic cycle illuminates the significant lack of community-based infrastructure needed for effectively addressing criminal recidivism and addiction disorders. Despite the best efforts by the Alaska State Department of Corrections, if the infrastructure in the community does not exist for formerly incarcerated individuals to rapidly access addiction treatment, secure supportive housing, achieve economic viability, and connect with positive peer networks, their return to criminal activity and substance abuse is almost inevitable.

The pathway to solving the recidivism challenge requires three critical components. The first is a reliable fiscal environment that enables long-term planning and programmatic stability. Senate Bill 104, the spending cap bill, is a solid step in the right direction. In establishing spending limits and structural controls, SB 104 strikes a balance between a fiscally responsible operating budget, much needed infrastructure investment, and a reasonable Permanent Fund dividend check.

The second component is the strategic development of community-based infrastructure that addresses all primary risk factors for ongoing criminal activity and addiction. When it comes to recidivism reduction, you truly get what you pay for. The U.S. Council of Economic Advisors reports the reduction of incarceration costs by community-based addiction treatment programs constitutes a value of up to $5.27 for every taxpayer dollar spent. This doesn’t include the social benefits realized by preventing further crime and subsequent victims.

Finally, we must decide philosophically how we’re going to view formerly incarcerated individuals with addiction disorders. Most serve sentences less than two years, so eventually they’re going to be a part of our societal experience. What’s more, they’re not strangers. They’re our family, our neighbors, and members of our community. The level of investment that we deem them worthy of will drastically influence our level of public safety.

While the nation continues to seek answers for criminal recidivism and addiction, Alaskans have a distinct opportunity to work together, solve the recidivism and addiction challenge, and then project our leadership in doing so across the United States.

Ryan Ray is a longtime Alaskan, an accomplished social entrepreneur, and a doctoral candidate for a Doctor of Social Work in Social Innovation degree at the University of Southern California.

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