JFAC advances multiple Department of Correction supplementals and FY26 enhancements after extended review

Noah Peterson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented a package of supplementals and fiscal year 2026 enhancement requests for the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) on Feb. 28. The agency's requests addressed security upgrades, transport capabilities, a body-worn camera pilot, inmate housing costs, medical services and a range of management and IT needs across IDOC divisions.

Supplemental requests for the remainder of FY2025 included: a one-time $795,000 general-fund addition for advanced surveillance technology (digital mail scanning, drone detection, phone-call transcription and analysis) that the agency said arose from vulnerabilities discovered after a March 2024 shooting/escape attempt; a $1,148,000 one-time general-fund addition to expand transport safety (12 personnel and seven vehicles for emergency inmate transport); a $1,051,000 supplemental (about $27,000 general fund and $1,024,000 federal funds) to purchase body-worn cameras and associated equipment as year one of a three-year federal pilot; and multi-million-dollar supplements addressing county and out-of-state placements ($5,939,400) and medical services ($5,957,200) to cover higher-than-budgeted population-driven costs.

Actions and outcomes from the committee: - Advanced surveillance technology supplemental ($795,000 general fund): motion passed with committee majority; recorded combined tally reported as 17 ayes, 3 nays across both committees and the motion carried with a due-pass recommendation. - Transport safety expansion ($1,148,000 general fund): motion passed (15 ayes, 5 nays combined) and will be sent to the floor with due-pass recommendation. - Body-worn camera pilot supplemental ($1,051,000 total; $1,024,000 general fund noted): the motion received a majority in the House Appropriations Committee but failed to achieve a majority in the Senate Finance Committee (Senate vote 5-5); the committee record states the item will be sent to the Senate despite failing to achieve a Senate committee majority for passage. - County and out-of-state placement supplemental ($5,939,400 general fund): motion passed and will be sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. - Medical services supplemental for FY25 ($5,957,200 general fund): after a roll call to correct a prior typographical error on the screen, the motion passed and will be sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

Peterson also presented FY26 enhancement requests across IDOC divisions including ongoing costs for advanced surveillance technology and transport-safety expansion, IT replacements, contracted services, population-driven adjustments for county/out-of-state placement and medical services, and personnel annualization for community reentry. The committee considered multiple FY26 enhancement motions; several achieved majorities in one or both committees and were advanced with due-pass recommendations while others failed to achieve majorities in both chambers' committees. Where the motion failed to achieve a majority in one chamber's committee, the record notes different procedural outcomes (e.g., being "sent to the Senate").

Committee members asked multiple operational questions, including capacity constraints causing county jail holds and the timeline for a new women's prison (projected opening cited as 2028 or 2029). The committee sought clarity on whether supplemental increases reflected population growth, lack of space, or other drivers; analysts and members described population pressure, particularly on women's housing, as a significant driver of out-of-state and county placements.

Ending: Several IDOC requests were advanced with due-pass recommendations; others failed to achieve committee majorities in one chamber. The committee consistently requested supplemental detail and noted the need to monitor population trends and planned capital projects (including future prison openings) that affect placement and medical-services costs.