40-passenger bus

Goose Creek Correctional Center and the Central Transportation Unit has taken possession of four new transportation buses. For many years the Central Transportation Unit has used retrofitted school buses with installed cages to transport prisoners throughout the state. While still road worthy, those buses were reaching the end of their expected lifetimes,and were better suited to short trips.

The new buses were special ordered from International, and while they have the look of a traditional school bus, nothing about them is ordinary. Two are 40 passenger buses and the other two are 26 passenger. They have all of the equipment necessary for safe and secure transports; they come equipped with a segregation cell, back up cameras, individual compartment video cameras with microphone, ALMR radios, weapon storage containers, LED lighting, full one piece rubber floors for easy clean up, molded plastic chairs with drain holes and D-rings for shackling unruly inmates. There is storage in the rear compartment and under storage for property boxes. Every aspect of the new vehicles was carefully thought out by Deputy Director Lee Sherman with an eye to the future of inmate transports in Alaska.

At the time of publication, these vehicles will have been used on two airlifts, bringing inmates from the Anchorage Airport to Goose Creek, as well as trips to FCC and WWCC. They are also being used for trips between the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage. The Officers who drive these on a daily basis have a lot of pride in this new equipment.

— Jimmie Wallace

A class of 32 Correctional Officers – six women and 26 men – representing seven institutions graduated from Alaska Department of Corrections Academy #120 on May 10, 2013. The students spent six weeks learning the Policies and Procedures of the department, Effective Communication, Shotgun training, Taser training, One-On-One Control Techniques, Cultural Awareness and various other curriculums. Officers attending this Academy include nine military veterans and five officers who have relatives currently working for Alaska DOC. Congratulations to the Correctional Officers of Class #120.

— Dan Traxinger

Kodiak Probation Supervisor Jill Bunting reported on her office’s recent move to a new location: “In April we moved from the Courthouse, where our office had been located as long as anyone could remember, to the old Fish and Game building. When Fish and Game moved to a new location, work crews came in and remodeled the old Fish and Game building to each agency’s specifications. Chief Probation Officer Rebecca Brunger came to Kodiak and assisted with the move, which included helping us organize our work spaces to achieve maximum efficiency. What we have at our new location that we didn’t have before is more office space, a polygraph room, a safe and secure lobby, and a separate UA bathroom. We remain centrally located, close to the Courthouse, ferry terminal, and the boat harbor. Other benefits to the new location include a dedicated parking space for the State vehicle, ample off-street parking, a window to the lobby with a pass-through for documents, and a computer workstation at the window for us to streamline probationer reporting and entering data. Overall, it is just a more comfortable location that provides staff with better safety, security, and productivity, and space for us to serve our population better. It is just a really good fit for us and I’m glad we were able to make this move.”

Spring Creek Correctional Center’s PO II Clare Sullivan has been appointed Historian for the American Legion Department of Alaska and has also been honored with the Commander of the Year Award. The American Legion in Alaska represents over 100,000 veterans in the state and addresses issues that pertain to veterans educational and medical benefits and compensation for injuries sustained during military service. The American Legion in Alaska has 33 active posts in addition to outlying posts in Guam and Taiwan. Clare's responsibilities as Historian include preserving and compiling the records of the American Legion Department of Alaska and its activities, ensuring an accurate documentation of events and preserving this information for future use and historical reference. Clare has worked for the Department of Corrections for just over 15 years and has been a correctional officer, institutional security and compliance sergeant, and now is serving as a probation officer.

After close to 17 years of dedicated service, Correctional Officer III Barry Bruning will retire from the State of Alaska Department of Corrections on May 1. An informal get-together was held April 26th at the American Legion in Seward; photos from that event are included here. Sergeant Bruning began his Career as a Correctional Officer I at the Spring Creek Correctional Center in 1996. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2000 and has provided exemplary service in the positions of House Supervisor, Shift Supervisor, Disciplinary Sergeant, Compliance/Standards Sergeant and Security Sergeant. “He has been a fabulous part of our organization and will be greatly missed,” said a coworker. “He’s a good guy who has been a wonderful asset to our profession.”

— Supt. Dean Marshall