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Idaho parole commission seeks pay increase as commissioners cite unpaid prep work
Summary
The Commission of Pardons and Parole requested legislation to raise commissioners' per-diem pay from $300 to $400, citing heavy unpaid preparation time and risk of losing experienced commissioners.
The Commission of Pardons and Parole asked the Joint Finance Preparations Committee on Feb. 4 to support legislation that would increase commissioner pay from $300 to $400 per day, citing workload and recruitment concerns.
Executive Director Christine Starr, who said she has served three months in the role, told the committee the commission’s workload is substantial and preparation time is uncompensated. Starr said commissioners typically hold five days of hearings a month, which the commission schedules on three weeks each month. She told the committee her staff’s analysis shows commissioners spend about 26 hours preparing for five days of hearings — roughly 3.25 days of unpaid prep time for each hearing week.
Why it matters: The commission reported 6,670 decisions were delivered in fiscal 2024 (up from 5,160 in 2017) and said pay has not kept pace; commissioners last received an increase in 2017, when pay rose from $200 to $300. The commission said candidates frequently decline appointment because of inadequate compensation and that Starr expects to lose more than half of the current commission by December if recruiting and retention are not improved.
Legislative context and cost: The analyst Noah Peterson said the requested pay raise would require statutory change (the presentation cited section 20-1002 of Idaho Code) and estimated the fiscal impact of that bill at $59,300. The commission also requested nine laptops (approximately $12,600) on the recommendation of the Office of Information Technology Services; the governor recommended $59,300 tied to the pay change and supported the OITS replacement items.
Discussion: Committee members expressed support for ensuring commissioners have adequate time and resources to prepare for hearings. Senator Wintrow and others suggested the legislature consider whether the current part-time compensation model properly reflects the workload and public-safety stakes of parole decisions.
Next steps: The pay change would require legislation; the commission asked the committee and sponsors to consider a statutory amendment to increase per-diem pay and the committee requested additional information as budget deliberations continue.
