City Seeks More Pay for Running State Jail

Maggie Wall/KMXT

The City of Kodiak continues to subsidize the cost of running the jail for the state, but during the coming year the city won’t lose as much money on the deal as it normally does.

KMXT’s Maggie Wall has details.

— (Jail Contract 3:00 SOC)

The City of Kodiak operates the jail on a contractual basis for the State of Alaska. The city has been losing money on the operation of the jail for many years.

But, with new documentation and record-keeping, things could change for the better for the city. But not soon enough for the current year’s contract-which the Kodiak City Council approved at its July 28 regular meeting.

Local leaders have complained and been frustrated by the jail situation for years. Since Kodiak has no state-owned facility for housing people accused of violating state law, the Department of Corrections contracts with the city for operating the jail.

The problem is that the state only reimburses the city for part of those costs.

If the city doesn’t house the state offenders, the Department of Public Safety would be forced to ship them back and forth from the mainland. So, even though the city’s operation of the jail saves the state more than $1 million per year, the state continually underfunds its operation.

Under the latest contract with the state the city will lose nearly $360-thousand.:

-((Subsidize :13 "We will continue…the operation."))

That is city manager Aimee Kniaziowski. The total contract with the state is for roughly $793-thousand.

In her written report to the council Kniaziowski said the Department of Corrections acknowledges that the local jail is one of several that are underfunded. In order to fix that the DOC says it must quantify costs so it can request more funding from the legislature:

-((Process :25 "We will be…this next year."))

Council woman Pat Branson said those reports will become part of the city’s arsenal when it argues its case with legislators:

-((Acknowledge :40 "I’m glad that…that’s a good sign."))

The jail contract is for just one year from July 1 to June 30 of next year.

I’m Maggie Wall.

###