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Department seeks funding to expand reentry operations, add parole officers and transitional housing
Summary
IDOC presented requests to annualize Pocatello Community Reentry Center staffing, expand community reentry operations and fund additional parole officers and transitional housing to support reentry and reduce recidivism.
The Idaho Department of Correction told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 4 it is seeking ongoing funding to support expanded community reentry operations, additional parole officers and transitional housing aimed at reducing recidivism.
Budget analyst Noah Peterson summarized requests for the Community Corrections Division, which handles probation and parole and the state’s community reentry centers. The division currently has about 511 FTP allocated and the department described requests to annualize personnel costs and continue expansions started in prior fiscal years.
Major items presented included:
- Pocatello Community Reentry Center annualization: the department requested funding to annualize 17 positions whose first‑six months were funded previously; Peterson presented the annualized personnel cost at about $680,700, which would raise the Pocatello center’s ongoing budget to roughly $2.4 million if approved. - Community reentry expansion: the FY2025 enhancement package included a $1.3 million request to expand community reentry operations and 16 FTP noted in the base materials as part of earlier appropriations and realignments. - Parole staffing and starting pay: an 85‑cent starting‑pay increase for parole officers was appropriated previously; the FY2025 package included six FTP and $616,500 ongoing for parole officers in Districts 3 and 4. - Treatment, testing and housing: the division has sought expanded drug testing that includes opioid testing (approximately $721,200 in presentation materials), $750,000 for transitional housing and $580,400 to expand behavioral‑health treatment resources. The division also requested replacement items (about $1.57 million for vehicles, radios, kitchen equipment, lockers and clothing).
Director Josh Tewalt and analysts said the department expects some of these investments to help reduce recidivism by increasing access to supervision, case management and reentry services. Committee members had few questions and staff said the governor recommended the presented replacement items and most enhancements; committee members asked for operational detail where needed.
