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DOC seeks staffing annualization for Pocatello reentry center, pilots medication‑assisted treatment in custody
Summary
The Department of Correction asked the finance committee to annualize newly allocated staff at the Pocatello Community Reentry Center and requested pilot positions for medications for opioid use disorder inside facilities and expanded drug testing.
The Department of Correction asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee to approve annualized funding for staff added at the Pocatello Community Reentry Center and to continue several community corrections enhancements approved in previous years.
Noah Peterson, LSO budget analyst, said the agency originally received 17 staff positions for Pocatello on a six‑month basis; the DOC requested the FY2026 annualization to fund those positions for an entire year at roughly $680,700 in personnel costs, which would bring the Pocatello center’s ongoing budget to about $2.4 million if approved.
Other community‑corrections items: The agency also cited appropriations for expanded drug testing (including opioid/fentanyl testing), $750,000 for transitional housing and services to assist reentry, and two pilot case‑manager positions to coordinate community medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and bridge people from incarceration to community‑based treatment. Community corrections had previously absorbed a $1 million reallocation from the substance‑use disorder division; the committee analyst noted the transfer netted to zero within the agency budget.
Why the committee is considering it: Staff annualization is standard practice when positions funded mid‑year require full‑year funding in the next fiscal cycle. Committee members did not raise substantive objections in the hearing but asked follow‑up technical questions; the governor recommended those items.
Ending: The committee asked the DOC for standard supporting materials for annualization and program pilots so staff can evaluate ongoing cost and expected outcomes during appropriation deliberations.
