Wrangell Sentinel -

The state council that sets and enforces standards for employment, training and certification of law enforcement officers in Alaska has approved a proposal to lower the minimum age of state prison guards from 21 to 18 years old.

The proposal requires regulatory approval, however, before it can take effect.

Alaska’s Department of Corrections is feeling the same hiring pressures as law enforcement across the country and needs a wider applicant pool, Commissioner Jen Winkelman told the Police Standards Council in its September meeting.

“These are tough jobs,” she said. “We’re just no...