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DOC cites population and medical‑contract pressures for higher county and out‑of‑state housing costs
Summary
Idaho DOC told lawmakers population shifts and higher medical utilization are driving requests to increase county and out‑of‑state per‑diem funding; negotiations with the current medical contractor could increase costs 10% or, if rebid, 30–40%.
The Idaho Department of Correction asked the committee to consider population‑driven adjustments to county and out‑of‑state housing costs and an increase in medical services funding tied to contract negotiations.
Analyst Noah Peterson explained that changes in the populations housed in county jails and out‑of‑state facilities are the primary drivers of requested supplemental appropriations. For FY2025 the department asked for a population‑driven supplemental of roughly $1.9 million and proposed an ongoing FY2026 increase of about $4.0 million to reflect updated population projections.
Medical contract negotiations: Peterson said the DOC is negotiating with its current medical contractor. If negotiations succeed, the agency estimates about a 10% increase in contract cost; if negotiations fail and the contract goes to competitive bid, the agency forecasts a 30–40% increase. The FY2026 supplemental request to cover higher utilization and the cost baseline assumed successful negotiations and updated population figures.
County per‑diems and rationale: The transcript records per‑diem figures used in county placements: $57.50 per inmate per day for stays of seven days or less, $77.50 for stays beyond seven days, and $84.45 for out‑of‑state placements; Director Tewalt told the committee that these county rates are set in Idaho code and were designed to encourage prompt state pickup to avoid county jail backlogs.
Committee questions and next steps: Legislators sought detail on how per‑diem rates are determined and the basis for the population projections. The agency agreed to provide further documentation and to clarify the medical‑contract negotiation status as part of the committee’s budget review.
Ending: The committee received the DOC’s projections and asked for more documentation before approving any supplemental funding; the governor recommended the agency’s requests under the assumption of successful medical contract negotiations.
