Barrow judge Michael Jeffery has made several changes to the way he runs his court to try to provide fair treatment for defendants who may be affected by a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. In 1990, a defense attorney presented evidence that her client was diagnosed with an FASD, and that it would be unjust to […]
Call him ‘Minimum Mike’ if you like, but this Barrow judge is trying something new
Judge Mike Jeffery talk with a defendant in Barrow on Monday, November 11, 2013. Jeffery says he has tried to adapt his courtroom to a provide for fair treatment for people affected with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. He slows down his hearings, uses plain language and uses his discretion in plea agreements to allow […]
Alaska could fight FASD right now with these three ideas
Forget, for the moment, the debate over whether the state should pay to hand out free pregnancy tests and/or condoms. Give away both, then think bigger. Every baby born with fetal alcohol syndrome costs the public $1 million to $4 million in lifetime medical and social services bills. Bar bathroom give-aways aside, experts say […]
‘I genuinely care’
Probation officer Terri Telkamp has a unique approach to her work in Barrow. She suspects many people who wind up on her caseload are affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and has adapted in ways she hopes will lessen the likelihood that felons will reoffend. In this video, Telkamp talks about her methods to […]
2 out of 3 ‘intentional injury’ hospitalizations among Alaska Natives are alcohol related, report says
My mailbox is filling up this week with notes from researchers and reporters interested in the new ISER study that found no statistical evidence that banning alcohol in a village reduces suicides among young Alaska Native men. One reader notes that the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s newly updated Alaska Native Injury Atlas shows an expanded picture of […]
Study: Banning alcohol in Alaska villages doesn’t reduce suicide, but more jobs might
In fall 2013, voters in Shishmaref voted against removing a ban on the importation and sale of alcohol. File photo, October 1, 2013. (MARC LESTER – Anchorage Daily News) Banning alcohol in Alaska’s most isolated and cash-poor villages has failed to reduce suicide rates among the young Alaska Native men who live there, new research […]
A last check-in with the Hatch family
From left: Deyna Pardue, Carol Hatch, Will Seward, Simone Hope, Kellen Swanson, RJ Galeshoff, baby Lily Schablein, Gifford Benoit, Ari Schablein, Chase Benoit and Leah Morgan-Carroll. April 29, 2014 Baby Lily squirms on the living room floor as Ari speaks to a nurse from the Southcentral Foundation who visits every two weeks. Ari is proud […]
Kellen on career dreams
March 27, 2014 If FASD wasn’t an issue, what kind of job do you think you’d be doing? Kellen: I would probably be doing something besides (being) a (part-time) domestic engineer at a church. I would probably be going for a career with a job that I might find beneficial to myself and my […]
Carol talks about parenting
Carol Hatch helps her granddaughter, Deyna, after she fell off her scooter. (MARC LESTER — Anchorage Daily News) Why did you start accepting foster kids and seeking out foster kids? Carol: I always wanted to be a foster parent, even before I had a kid of my own. I always loved to be around kids […]