The alternative is having groups of  prisoners filing through the stairwells, hallways, and courtrooms of Alaska unrestrained and watched by one or two troopers.  It would become a simple matter of three or four making a break in the middle of the courtroom, easily outnumbering the officers.  This is pretrial only, and a necessary security process.  The detainees are allowed much more freedom during individual hearings and trial.  Whether they are chained or not makes absolutely no difference during arrangement, bail hearings, or other pretrial processes.