The Alaska State Board of Parole approved 85% of discretionary parole applications in recent days, a sharp reversal from declining approval rates in previous years.

Steve Meyer, a board appointee testifying at his confirmation hearing before the House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday, said the higher approval rate reflects changes in how the system operates after years of disruption.

The board's grant rate had dropped after lawmakers repealed SB 91 criminal justice reforms. It fell further during COVID-19, when inmates had limited access to programming typically required for discretionary parole consideration.

"When SB 91 was passed, we had a very high grant rate partly because the circumstances for granting changed, and then when SB 91 was repealed, that changed it so there were fewer grants," Meyer explained. "During COVID, a lot of the folks we were seeing had not been able to do the programming that we usually look at for discretionary parole."

Vice Chair Geran Tarr questioned Meyer about concerns that the parole board had been "granting fewer and fewer early parole." Meyer acknowledged that perception and said recent improvements in prisoner programming have affected the approval rate.

"We have had an uptick in programming. Things have been better," Meyer said. He cited improvements in substance abuse programming and sex offender treatment, though he noted resource limitations remain. "There are still areas that, you know, there are only so many resources, and so not everybody is able to access the things that would be nice for them to access."

The committee recommended both Meyer and Veronica Lambertson, appointed to the Alaska Police Standards Council, be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation.

The parole board holds discretionary parole hearings monthly. Each member reviews packets containing criminal history, institutional records, and programming completion before interviewing candidates.