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State penitentiary budget seeks body cameras, tasers and ballistic vests; tattoo‑removal grant not awarded
Summary
Department of Corrections officials asked the committee to fund body cameras, tasers and new ballistic vests for staff and described other NDSP budget changes including resident payroll, a small capital request and an unfunded tattoo‑removal proposal.
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials told the Appropriations committee that the North Dakota State Penitentiary’s base budget is about $42 million and the executive recommendation is roughly $52 million, largely driven by salary and fringe increases.
Michelle Zander said NDSP’s operating request includes about $7.8 million for food, clothing and other operating items and listed several decision packages that would restore temporary and overtime pay and add safety equipment. The penitentiary requested body cameras and tasers in a package the department estimated would cost roughly $739,000; staff said they would seek federal grant funding for the cameras and that a one-time state investment would be required if the grant does not come through. Zander said the department previously applied for related grants and had been denied.
Deputy Warden Sean Foti described operational effects of body cameras, telling the committee the devices can help de-escalate incidents and sharply reduce investigation time for contested allegations. Colby Braun, DOCR director, and lawmakers also discussed ballistic vests: the department requested federal dollars and one-time state infrastructure funds as a potential match to replace expiring vests used by perimeter and specialized teams.
Zander told lawmakers the department sought public safety retirement funding for correctional staff and that the NDSP portion of that request was about $645,000; the departmentwide public safety retirement request was presented as approximately $6.45 million. Other NDSP items discussed included a modest capital equipment request of $11,000 for a commercial burger‑patty press (department officials said the equipment would allow the facility to make patties in bulk and pay back the purchase within a year) and that a proposed tattoo-removal machine had not been funded after unsuccessful grant applications.
Lawmakers questioned whether the department should rely on federal grants for equipment that supports officer safety and asked staff to return with options if grant applications fail. No formal vote on these NDSP decision packages was recorded in the transcript.
