The Agreement on Detainers is enacted into law and entered into by the State of Alaska with all other jurisdictions legally joining in it in a form substantially as follows:
THE AGREEMENT ON DETAINERS.
Article I
The party states find that charges outstanding against a prisoner, detainers based on untried indictments, informations or complaints, and difficulties in securing speedy trial of persons already incarcerated in other jurisdictions, produce uncertainties which obstruct programs of prisoner treatment and rehabilitation. Accordingly, it is the policy of the party states and the purpose of this agreement to encourage the expeditious and orderly disposition of those charges and determination of the proper status of any and all detainers based on untried indictments, informations or complaints. The party states also find that proceedings with reference to charges and detainers, when emanating from another jurisdiction, cannot properly be had in the absence of cooperative procedures. It is the further purpose of this agreement to provide those cooperative procedures.
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Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 33.35.010
- action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
As used in this agreement, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(1) “state” means a state of the United States, the United States of America, a territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(2) “sending state” means a state in which a prisoner is incarcerated at the time that the prisoner initiates a request for final disposition under Article III of this agreement or at the time that a request for custody or availability is initiated under Article IV of this agreement;
(3) “receiving state” means the state in which trial is to be had on an indictment, information or complaint under Article III or Article IV of this agreement.
Article III
(a) When a person is serving a term of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution of a party state, and when during the term of imprisonment there is pending in another party state any untried indictment, information or complaint on the basis of which a detainer has been lodged against the prisoner, the prisoner shall be brought to trial within 180 days after the prisoner has had delivered to the prosecuting officer and the appropriate court of the prosecuting officer’s jurisdiction written notice of the place of imprisonment and a request for a final disposition to be made of the indictment, information or complaint. However, for good cause shown in open court, the prisoner or counsel for the prisoner being present, the court having jurisdiction of the matter may grant any necessary or reasonable continuance. The request of the prisoner shall be accompanied by a certificate of the appropriate official having custody of the prisoner, stating the term of commitment under which the prisoner is being held, the time already served, the time remaining to be served on the sentence, the amount of good time earned, the time of parole eligibility of the prisoner, and any decisions of the state parole agency relating to the prisoner.
(b) The written notice and request for final disposition referred to in paragraph (a) of this article shall be given or sent by the prisoner to the warden, commissioner of corrections or other official having custody of the prisoner, who shall promptly forward it together with the certificate to the appropriate prosecuting official and court by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.
(c) The warden, commissioner of corrections or other official having custody of the prisoner shall promptly inform the prisoner of the source and contents of any detainer against the prisoner, and shall also inform the prisoner of the right to make a request for final disposition of the indictment, information or complaint on which the detainer is based.
(d) Any request for final disposition made by a prisoner under paragraph (a) of this article shall operate as a request for final disposition of all untried indictments, informations or complaints on the basis of which detainers have been lodged against the prisoner from the state to whose prosecuting official the request for final disposition is specifically directed. The warden, commissioner of corrections or other official having custody of the prisoner shall notify all appropriate prosecuting officers and courts in the several jurisdictions within the state to which the prisoner’s request for final disposition is being sent of the proceedings being initiated by the prisoner. Any notification sent under this paragraph shall be accompanied by copies of the prisoner’s written notice, request, and the certificate. If trial is not had on any indictment, information or complaint contemplated by this article before the return of the prisoner to the original place of imprisonment, that indictment, information or complaint is of no further force or effect, and the court shall enter an order dismissing it with prejudice.
(e) A request for final disposition made by a prisoner under paragraph (a) of this article shall also be considered a waiver of extradition with respect to any charge or proceeding contemplated or included by reason of paragraph (d) of this article, and a waiver of extradition to the receiving state to serve any sentence imposed upon the prisoner there, after completion of the prisoner’s term of imprisonment in the sending state. The request for final disposition also constitutes a consent by the prisoner to the production of the prisoner’s body in any court where the prisoner’s presence may be required in order to effectuate the purposes of this agreement and a further consent voluntarily to be returned to the original place of imprisonment in accordance with the provisions of this agreement. Nothing in this paragraph prevents the imposition of a concurrent sentence if otherwise permitted by law.
(f) Escape from custody by the prisoner after the execution of the request for final disposition referred to in paragraph (a) of this article shall void the request.
Article IV
(a) The appropriate officer of the jurisdiction in which an untried indictment, information or complaint is pending is entitled to have a prisoner, against whom the officer has lodged a detainer and who is serving a term of imprisonment in any party state, made available in accordance with Article V(a) of this agreement upon presentation of a written request for temporary custody or availability to the appropriate authorities of the state in which the prisoner is incarcerated; provided that the court having jurisdiction of an indictment, information or complaint must have duly approved, recorded and transmitted the request; and provided that there shall be a period of 30 days after receipt by the appropriate authorities before the request is honored, within which period the governor of the sending state may disapprove the request for temporary custody or availability, either upon the governor’s own motion or upon motion of the prisoner.
(b) Upon receipt of the officer’s written request as provided in paragraph (a) of this article, the appropriate authorities having the prisoner in custody shall furnish the officer with a certificate stating the term of commitment under which the prisoner is being held, the time already served, the time remaining to be served on the sentence, the amount of good time earned, the time of parole eligibility of the prisoner, and any decisions of the state parole agency relating to the prisoner. Those authorities shall at the same time furnish all other officers and appropriate courts in the receiving state who have lodged detainers against the prisoner with similar certificates and with notices informing them of the request for custody or availability and of the reasons for the request.
(c) In any proceeding under this article, trial shall begin within 120 days of the arrival of the prisoner in the receiving state. However, for good cause shown in open court, the prisoner or counsel for the prisoner being present, the court having jurisdiction of the matter may grant any necessary or reasonable continuance.
(d) Nothing contained in this article may be construed to deprive a prisoner of any right that the prisoner may have to contest the legality of the prisoner’s delivery as provided in paragraph (a) of this article, but the prisoner’s delivery may not be opposed or denied on the ground that the executive authority of the sending state had not affirmatively consented to or ordered the delivery.
(e) If trial is not had on any indictment, information or complaint contemplated by this agreement before the prisoner’s return to the prisoner’s original place of imprisonment under Article V(e) of this agreement, the indictment, information or complaint is not of any further force or effect, and the court shall enter an order dismissing it with prejudice.
Article V
(a) In response to a request made under Article III or Article IV of this agreement, the appropriate authority in a sending state shall offer to deliver temporary custody of a prisoner to the appropriate authority in the state where the indictment, information or complaint is pending against the prisoner in order that speedy and efficient prosecution may be had. If the request for final disposition is made by the prisoner, the offer of temporary custody shall accompany the written notice provided for in Article III of this agreement. In the case of a federal prisoner, the appropriate authority in the receiving state is entitled to temporary custody as provided by this agreement or to the prisoner’s presence in federal custody at the place of trial, whichever custodial arrangement may be approved by the custodian.
(b) The officer or other representative of a state accepting an offer of temporary custody shall present the following upon demand:
(1) proper identification and evidence of the authority of the officer or other representative to act for the state into whose temporary custody the prisoner is to be given; and
(2) a certified copy of the indictment, information or complaint on the basis of which the detainer has been lodged and on the basis of which the request for temporary custody of the prisoner has been made.
(c) If the appropriate authority refuses or fails to accept temporary custody of the prisoner, or if an action on the indictment, information or complaint, on the basis of which the detainer has been lodged, is not brought to trial within the period provided in Article III or Article IV of this agreement, the appropriate court of the jurisdiction where the indictment, information or complaint has been pending shall enter an order dismissing it with prejudice, and any detainer based on it shall cease to be of any force or effect.
(d) The temporary custody referred to in this agreement is only for the purpose of permitting prosecution on the charge or charges contained in one or more untried indictments, informations or complaints which form the basis of the detainer or for prosecution on any other charge arising out of the same transaction. Except for the prisoner’s attendance at court and while being transported to or from any place at which the prisoner’s presence may be required, the prisoner shall be held in a suitable jail or other facility regularly used for persons awaiting prosecution.
(e) At the earliest practicable time consistent with the purposes of this agreement, the prisoner shall be returned to the sending state.
(f) During the continuance of temporary custody or while the prisoner is otherwise being made available for trial as required by this agreement, time being served on the sentence shall continue to run but good time shall be earned by the prisoner only if, and to the extent that, the law and practice of the jurisdiction which imposed the sentence may allow.
(g) For all purposes other than that for which temporary custody as provided in this agreement is exercised, the prisoner shall be considered to remain in the custody of and subject to the jurisdiction of the sending state. Any escape from temporary custody may be dealt with in the same manner as an escape from the original place of imprisonment or in any other manner permitted by law.
(h) From the time that a party state receives custody of a prisoner under this agreement until the prisoner is returned to the territory and custody of the sending state, the state in which the untried indictments, informations or complaints are pending or in which trial is being had shall be responsible for the prisoner and shall also pay all costs of transporting, caring for, keeping and returning the prisoner. The provisions of this paragraph govern unless the states concerned have entered into a supplementary agreement providing for a different allocation of costs and responsibilities between themselves. Nothing in this agreement may be considered to alter or affect any internal relationship among the departments, agencies and officers of and in the government of a party state, or between a party state and its subdivisions, as to the payment of or the responsibility for costs.
Article VI
(a) In determining the duration and expiration dates of the time periods provided in Articles III and IV of this agreement, the running of those time periods shall be tolled when and for as long as the prisoner is unable to stand trial, as determined by the court having jurisdiction of the matter.
(b) No provision of this agreement, and no remedy made available by this agreement, apply to a person who is adjudged to be mentally ill.
Article VII
Each state party to this agreement shall designate an officer who, acting jointly with like officers of other party states, shall adopt regulations to carry out the terms and provisions of this agreement, and who shall provide, inside and outside the state, information necessary to the effective operation of this agreement.
Article VIII
This agreement shall enter into full force and effect as to a party state when that state has enacted it into law. A state party to this agreement may withdraw from it by enacting a statute repealing it. However, the withdrawal of any state does not affect the status of any proceedings already initiated by inmates or by state officers at the time the withdrawal takes effect, nor does it affect their rights in respect to those proceedings.
Article IX
This agreement shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes. The provisions of this agreement shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this agreement is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or the applicability of a provision to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this agreement and the applicability of it to any government, agency, person or circumstance is not affected. If this agreement is held to be contrary to the constitution of any party state, the agreement shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
