Department of Juvenile Corrections requests radio upgrades, funding for rising substance-use treatment costs

The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 that it seeks targeted funding to address equipment and rising treatment costs while lawmakers pressed agency officials for more data on youth mental‑health needs and population trends.

Noah Peterson, a legislative budget policy analyst with the Legislative Budget Office, reviewed the department’s request and said the agency is asking for a $380,000 one‑time purchase from the Juvenile Corrections Endowment Income Fund to replace and program radios at the three state juvenile correction centers in Lewiston, Nampa and St. Anthony. Peterson said the radios would include “man down” functionality to alert staff to the location of an employee in need of assistance and that St. Anthony currently lacks radios with that capability.

The department also seeks $300,000 in ongoing general‑fund support to cover increased costs for a residential substance‑use disorder (SUD) treatment program. According to Peterson, the daily cost for that residential program rose from about $198 per day in 2021 to $399 per day in August 2021, and the average length of stay increased from 31 days to 67 days; the combined effect raised the program’s cost from…