House Finance subcommittee approves FY2026 corrections budget, adds community-jail funding

The House Finance Committee Department of Corrections Subcommittee adopted a FY2026 operating budget recommendation and approved an amendment adding funding for community jails during a meeting on March 25, 2025, Chair Hannon said. The subcommittee voted to forward its recommendation to the full committee for consideration.

The budget package accepted as the subcommittee working document follows the governor’s request and, as presented by Hunter Meacham, staff to Chair Hannon, includes $434,224,600 in unrestricted general funds; $13,980,600 in designated general funds; $28,725,300 in other funds; and $9,071,500 in federal funds. The Department of Corrections’ request in the package includes 2,124 permanent full‑time positions and no permanent part‑time or temporary positions.

The subcommittee approved an amendment intended to narrow a shortfall in payments to 14 community jails that operate under contract with the state. Representative Himchute, who spoke to the amendment, said it would “help with the shortfall between what the state funds our community jails in the 14 communities that operate jails, and take in, folks who are who have infracted state laws.” Himchute said the actual need was estimated “between 3 and 4,000,000” but that the amendment requested a smaller amount “in order to not overfund certain jails through the formula that's used to fund community jails.”

Representative Prox opposed the amendment during discussion, saying the overall budget faced a large shortfall. “We are a billion and a half short in the budget now,” Prox said, arguing that revenue shortfalls meant the state would need to cut services elsewhere.

Chair Hannon told the panel the subcommittee would forward two recommended intent language items to the full finance committee: one asking the department to analyze cost savings associated with closing an institution, and a second asking the department to propose a formula to allocate community‑jail funding that distinguishes fixed costs for each facility from the marginal costs associated with housing state inmates.

The subcommittee also directed the Legislative Finance Division to make any necessary conforming or technical changes to the subcommittee report before it is filed with the full committee. Chair Hannon thanked Legislative Finance analyst Connor Bell and department staff for assistance answering the subcommittee’s questions.

The subcommittee adopted the draft subcommittee report and corresponding budget as its working document, then moved the FY2026 Department of Corrections operating budget subcommittee recommendation to the full committee without objection. The meeting was adjourned at about 9:30 a.m.