Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Corrections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Juvenile Corrections seeks radio upgrades and $300,000 for substance-use treatment as mental‑health needs rise
Summary
The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections (IDJC) asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee for one-time radios and ongoing funding for a residential substance‑use disorder program, and agency leaders described rising mental‑health severity among youth and a modest increase in facility census since May 2024.
The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections requested a $380,000 one‑time radio upgrade and a $300,000 ongoing general‑fund appropriation for residential substance‑use disorder (SUD) treatment at a February 18 Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee hearing.
Budget analyst Noah Peterson told the committee the radio request would replace and program radios across the three state juvenile correction centers in Lewiston, Nampa and St. Anthony, and that a key feature is a “man down functionality that alerts staff to the location of an employee who is in need of assistance.” He said the radio request would bring St. Anthony up to parity with Lewiston and Nampa and cover programming costs for already‑acquired units.
Director Ashley Dowell, who led the agency’s presentation, emphasized rising behavioral‑health needs among youth in custody. “I am very grateful. We have an amazing, passionate, dedicated staff,” Dowell said, adding that the department is “concerned about just the level of mental health we're seeing in the youth with our facilities.” Dowell said staff are seeing increases in suicidal ideation and self‑harm and an increase in criminality among youth entering the system.
The department also asked for $300,000 ongoing to cover higher costs for residential SUD care after temporary ARPA support ended. Peterson summarized the cost increase: the daily rate doubled from about $198 in 2021 to $399 in August 2021, and the average length of stay rose from 31 days to 67 days, increasing program costs from roughly $1.26 million (FY2021) to $2.7 million (FY2024). “This $300,000 request is to make up the difference from what was previously covered by Health and Welfare,” Peterson said.
Peterson outlined several other budget items: a $145,100 request for replacement items from dedicated funds; a proposed net‑zero shift of $675,100 from personnel to operating plus a reduction of seven full‑time positions as part of IT consolidation with the state Office of Information Technology Services; and a $232,500 ITS hardware replacement request. He described a $350,000 program realignment moving ongoing youth‑assessment costs into the community operations/program services (COPS) program as a net zero program shift.
Committee members pressed for data. Representative Tanner asked for population and flow numbers; Peterson said he has the data and would provide it and Director Dowell agreed to seek to return with additional analysis. Dowell provided a recent census update: the department’s custody population reached an all‑time low of 137 youth in May 2024 and was 176 at the time of the hearing, “which represents about a 19% increase of where we were the year before.”
On diversion and youth crisis centers, Dowell said the county crisis centers have “absolutely stepped up” and provided anecdotal examples of diverting young children and older youth from detention, but she did not provide a complete diversion count during the hearing and the committee asked the agency to supply available data.
The committee also discussed placement decisions and community treatment providers. Director Dowell said placement lengths are set by community residential treatment providers using American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) placement criteria. “Those are treatment providers in the community providing that service,” she said when asked whether the department reviews length‑of‑stay decisions.
The committee asked the Department of Juvenile Corrections for follow‑up information including: (1) facility census and throughput trends over recent years; (2) any data showing diversion outcomes for youth crisis centers; and (3) a breakdown of the items included in enhancement and replacement requests. Fiscal staff were asked to examine the rise in SUD costs and treatment length for a separate fiscal impact review.
No formal appropriation votes were taken at the hearing; the requests remain under review by the committee.
The Department of Juvenile Corrections oversees custody and services for youth committed by Idaho courts and operates three state juvenile correction centers. The agency reported its FY2024 expenditures were roughly 60% personnel ($32.9 million), 29% trustee and benefit payments (pass‑throughs and vendor payments), and 11% operating expenses (about $6.0 million).
