Overcrowding forces inmates into gymnasium at Fairbanks prison
AMANDA BOHMAN
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Ike Cofey and Cody Paine sat on a bunk in the gym at the Fairbanks Correctional Center on Wednesday. Around them, 45 other men accused of crimes paced, read, talked or slept on plastic cots, known as "boats" to the people who work or live at the facility.

Last month, when the jail broke a record for the number of inmates housed — 311 people — the gym held 61 men.

Read the whole article here:
http://ap.peninsulaclarion.com/pstories/state/ak/20051215/3495295.shtml

I don't know the hard numbers currently, but 3 years, 3 months later the gym is still wall to wall cots. Way to go Alaska...with your worthwhile persuit of first time, non violent offenders and the undoubted honesty and integrity of your law enforcement personel you'll get every one of those bad guys yet! What a fantastic way to spend tax dollars! (heavy sarcasm implied)

Okay that was a little inappropriate, but can you really blame me for being disgusted by this. Does anyone know when the new prison in the valley is supposed to start/be completed? I've heard rumors, but all unsubstantiated.

i don't know when the new prison will open. i think they are building some new housing units out in palmer this summer. but that won't help AJ, which is way overcrouded too.

I saw on the news last night that they just broke ground for the Point MacKenzie Correctional Center in the Mat/Su valley. I only caught the tail end of the segment, and from the little bit I caught it seemed to be more of a "Why is the SOA wasting 200 million on this?" than a "here's an unbiased news story for your consideration" but at least the info was there I guess....I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're still planning for a 2010 completion date.

I'll keep an eye out for a written story I can post. Progress...:thumbsup:

And I thought California was the only state with the overcrowding problem. Well...maybe your policymakers in AK can reign the beast in before it gets so out of control that your prisons are taken over by the feds. Sorry to learn that your guys are bunking in gyms - it really sucks.

I just found (and posted) an article regarding the Pt. Mac CC. Apparently now they're saying 2012...no big surprise there. :( At least it's actually happening...slow progress is better than no progress.

Also, a correction to an earlier comment I made on this article - FCC isn't actually "wall to wall" bunks in the Gym but there are around 85 guys living in the gym at any given time.