Idaho DOC seeks ongoing funding for Recidiviz and transparency tools in management services budget

The Joint Finance Preparations Committee heard Feb. 4 that the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) is seeking ongoing general‑fund support in the Management Services Division to continue and expand a data partnership with nonprofit Recidiviz and to maintain several transparency and legal‑access software subscriptions.

The request, presented by Legislative analyst Noah Peterson and Director Josh Tewalt, would fund continued development of case‑management and analytics tools Recidiviz has built for probation and parole and extend those tools into the prison environment to help case managers automate routine work and better track residents’ progress. "Recidiviz is a nonprofit tech company...they create overlays...bring them together and automate a lot of processes that take a lot of staff time," Director Tewalt said.

Why it matters: IDOC says automation and better data visualization are meant to free staff time and inform classification and supervision decisions in real time. The department reported previous one‑time appropriations to Recidiviz in FY2021 and FY2023 and now requests ongoing funding to sustain and expand the platform. Director Tewalt said philanthropic matching accompanies Recidiviz funding; "for every dollar we spend, they match with private foundation money." The committee asked for evidence of outcomes; Mr. Peterson said hard ROI data were not available in the hearing but that staff would provide dashboards and metrics on request.

Supporting items and other Management Services requests: The department also requested $668,100 total for transparency and legal‑access software (broken down in testimony as GovQA for public records management, LexisNexis for access to case law, and an access‑to‑courts digital database abbreviated "ATC"). Director Tewalt described GovQA as the system used to track over 6,000 public‑records requests annually and said LexisNexis replaces recurring paper law‑book purchases with a subscription service. Agency slides identify $250,000 ongoing for continued customization of the offender management system (Atlas), plus IT replacement items (laptops/desktops and other hardware) recommended by the Office of IT Services.

The division also requested $77,400 one‑time for Meridian training equipment (16 training mannequins and a light duty vehicle) and $85,000 one‑time to pilot a special assistant U.S. attorney in North Idaho to support local law enforcement on drug‑trafficking cases. Mr. Peterson and the governor’s recommendation aligned on most items, with details in the agency materials on the SharePoint referenced during the hearing.

Committee follow‑up requests and concerns: Committee members pressed for measurable outcomes and data about Recidiviz’s effectiveness and control over data. Director Tewalt said IDOC retains control of its data under data‑sharing agreements and that Recidiviz integrates existing data rather than replacing it. He also acknowledged the committee’s concern about transitioning from federal grant funding to ongoing general‑fund support and offered to provide dashboards and comparative metrics to the committee.

Ending: The committee did not vote on any of these items during the session. Analysts and the director said they would supply requested performance data to the committee before budget decisions.