Idaho juvenile corrections seeks $380,000 radio upgrade and $300,000 to sustain residential substance-use treatment

The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 that it is seeking several budget changes to address staff safety, rising treatment costs and IT needs.

Noah Peterson, a legislative budget policy analyst, said the department’s fiscal 2026 requests include a $380,000 one‑time purchase from the Juvenile Corrections Endowment Income Fund to replace and program radios at the Lewiston, Nampa and St. Anthony facilities. Peterson said a key feature is a "man down" capability to alert staff to an employee in need of assistance and that St. Anthony currently lacks any radios with that functionality.

The department also requested a $300,000 ongoing general fund appropriation to cover an increase in the cost of daily residential treatment. Peterson said the per‑day cost rose from about $198 in 2021 to $399 in August 2021 and the average length of stay increased from 31 days to 67 days, pushing annual…