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DOC seeks continued funding for community reentry operations, expanded testing and medication‑assisted treatment pilot
Summary
The Department of Correction asked for ongoing funds to annualize expanded Pocatello reentry center staff, increase parole staffing, fund opioid‑use‑disorder medication pilots in jail, and support expanded drug testing and transitional housing for people returning to the community.
The Idaho Department of Correction requested several ongoing appropriations tied to community corrections and reentry operations, including annualizing personnel for the Pocatello Community Reentry Center, funding additional parole officers in Districts 3 and 4, expanded drug testing that includes fentanyl detection, transitional housing assistance, and a pilot for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiated during incarceration.
Noah Peterson, Legislative Services Office analyst, said the Community Corrections Division currently has 511.35 FTP and that a prior budget move allocated 20 FTP for reentry operations in fiscal 2025; the agency requests annualization funding (approximately $680,700 cited for personnel annualization) to fund six months of personnel costs for 17 positions for Pocatello’s center on an ongoing basis.
Peterson described a $721,200 appropriation previously provided for expanded drug testing, an approximately $750,000 allocation for transitional housing and reintegration supports, and an ongoing request to staff District 3 and 4 parole offices with six FTP and $616,500 ongoing. He also said the agency proposed two FTP to create a pilot program to provide medications for opioid use disorder while people are incarcerated and to coordinate community treatment at release.
Committee members asked few technical questions. Director Josh Tewalt later confirmed the division’s gap analyses for behavioral health and substance use services show continuing needs, and said the department is beginning to close availability gaps; he gave headline counts for people receiving services but committee members asked for additional detail to be provided in follow‑up materials.
The committee did not act on appropriations during the hearing. Analysts and agency staff said they would provide more granular cost breakdowns and outcome metrics to inform whether the annualized personnel and program pilots should be funded on an ongoing basis.
