State of Alaska, Department of Corrections, Appellant v. Anita Hendricks-Pearce, Personal Representative of The…

Summary

The court held that the statutory term "prisoner" includes a person formerly in custody when determining responsibility for medical costs incurred during incarceration. It concluded that limiting reimbursement liability to current prisoners would conflict with the statute's cost-saving purpose and produce anomalous results. The court reversed and vacated the summary judgment, remanding for the superior court to decide whether the statute also authorizes reimbursement for outside medical care.