Idaho Parole Commission seeks pay bump for commissioners citing recruitment and prep time

The Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole asked the Joint Finance Preparations Committee on Feb. 4 for legislative authority and funding to increase commissioner pay from $300 to $400 per hearing day.

Executive Director Christine Starr, who has led the commission for just over three months, told lawmakers commissioners conduct roughly three weeks of hearings per month and are paid only for actual hearing days. Starr explained commissioners spend significant unpaid time preparing and said her office calculated about 26 hours of preparation per five days of hearings (roughly 3.25 unpaid days of prep per hearing week).

Noah Peterson, the legislative analyst, said the commission last received a pay increase in 2017 and that commissioners delivered 6,670 decisions in fiscal 2024 compared with 5,907 in 2017. The commission requested statutory authority (an amendment to Section 20‑1002 of Idaho Code) and an appropriation to cover the increase; Peterson said the governor recommended a partial fiscal impact to align with the general‑fund growth ceiling and that full fiscal impact would be about $59,300 if the legislation passed.

Starr warned the commission faces turnover: she said she expects to lose more than half of sitting commissioners by December and described the requested pay increase as a partial remedy to preserve experience and help recruitment. Senator Wintrow and Representative Manwaring asked about the commissioners’ workload and preparation time and suggested the legislature consider whether compensation should more fully recognize prep and training time.

No formal vote took place. The commission asked the committee to consider statutory change and the appropriation during the FY2026 budget and legislative process.