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Corrections management services seeks funds for records, legal access and training gear
Summary
The Department of Correction’s Management Services Division requested multiple ongoing and one‑time appropriations for transparency/public‑records software, digital legal access, training mannequins, and IT replacement items; the governor recommended most items with some modifications.
The Department of Correction’s Management Services Division presented a list of requested enhancements on Feb. 4, asking the Joint Finance Preparations Committee to fund a mix of ongoing subscriptions, one‑time purchases and IT replacement items.
What was requested: Analyst Noah Peterson described a $668,100 transparency software package — $611,000 ongoing and $57,000 one‑time — that the agency said would cover software for managing public records requests and providing inmate access to court documents and law books. The request included:
- GovQA public‑records software (ongoing) to track more than 6,000 public records requests annually; - LexisNexis (ongoing) to provide digitally accessible case law and legal research to people in custody; - An access‑to‑courts (ATC) database with a phase‑2 implementation cost split between ongoing and one‑time funds; and - Power Apps / Power BI backend licenses noted as a small ongoing cost.
Director Josh Tewalt told the committee the LexisNexis subscription replaces periodic one‑time purchases of law books with a continuing digital subscription and helps the agency meet its constitutional obligation to provide access to courts.
Training and equipment: The division requested $77,400 one‑time for Meridian training equipment — 16 training mannequins and a light‑duty training vehicle — for CPR, hanging drills and other officer skills. The agency also listed replacement items and IT hardware upgrades recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services, including $665,000 for laptops and desktops and $850,000 for other IT hardware.
Other items: Peterson described a request to partner with Recidiviz for recidivism case management tools (previously funded one‑time) and noted a special assistant U.S. attorney pilot position for North Idaho proposed as a three‑year $85,000 one‑time appropriation.
Governor’s recommendation: Most items were recommended by the governor. The committee asked for more detail on outcomes and return on investment for the Recidiviz work and asked the agency to supply follow‑up documentation, particularly for recurring subscription costs.
Taper: Committee members said they would review supplemental documentation and ROI measures submitted by the agency before deciding on ongoing appropriations.
