Researcher says Alaska should reopen prison farm

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The lead researcher for Pew Charitable Trusts working in Alaska to make recommendations for statewide criminal justice reform has urged lawmakers and corrections officials to consider opening a “closed facility’ to reduce the inmate population.

Terry Schuster, Pew senior associate for the Public Safety Performance Project, said if additional reforms are not put in place, the prison population will outpace the state’s ability to house inmates. He is proposing reopening the Point MacKenzie Correctional Farm to accept prisoners.

He shared his plan with a crowd of people w...