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Idaho seeks funding to expand community reentry, transitional housing and jail‑based treatment pilots
Summary
The Department of Correction asked the Joint Finance Preparations Committee for funding to expand community reentry centers (including Pocatello), add parole officers, pilot medications for opioid use disorder in jail and increase transitional housing supports for people returning from custody.
Committee members heard requests on Feb. 4 for expanded community reentry operations, additional parole officers and pilot programs aimed at reducing recidivism and improving community outcomes.
Noah Peterson, the Legislative Services Office analyst, summarized the Community Corrections Division’s FY2026 enhancement requests. The division oversees probation and parole and the Community Reentry Centers (CRCs). Key items presented: - Pocatello Community Reentry Center: an annualization request for personnel costs tied to recently added positions. The agency said 17 newly funded positions received six months of funding in the management services division; the FY2026 request would annualize 17 of those positions at an estimated $680,700 ongoing, bringing the Pocatello CRC annual operating budget to an estimated $2.4 million if approved. - Community reentry expansion: a FY2025 appropriation of roughly $1.3 million and staffing increases (about 16 net FTP previously noted) to expand community reentry operations statewide. - Transitional housing and supports: a previously appropriated $750,000 for transitional housing and reintegration services, with the division seeking continued support for those services. - Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) pilot: the agency requested two FTP to create a pilot providing medication‑assisted treatment for people while incarcerated, and two FTP for case managers to coordinate post‑release care. - Parole staffing and pay: ongoing appropriations included funds for additional parole officers in Districts 3 and 4 (6 FTP and about $616,500 ongoing) and earlier increases to starting pay for parole officers that mirrored corrections officer starting pay increases (cited as an 85¢ starting‑pay raise proposal during a prior session).
Why it matters: the agency argued these expansions are intended to reduce recidivism by providing services and stable housing connections at reentry, expanding supervision resources to better triage caseloads, and providing evidence‑based treatments inside facilities.
Questions and discussion Senator Wintrow asked whether now was the appropriate time to discuss the agency’s gap analysis for mental‑health and substance‑use services. Director Tewalt said the analysis — which compares community need to available services — shows progress, with larger numbers of people receiving services post‑Medicaid expansion and a shrinking gap.
What was not decided The committee asked for follow‑up materials but did not vote on the requests.
Ending: the agency offered to supply additional materials, including the gap analysis and dashboards, to demonstrate outcomes and capacity before the committee acts on ongoing appropriations.
