Parole commission seeks pay increase as commissioners cite unpaid prep work and turnover

The Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole asked the Joint Finance Preparations Committee on Feb. 4 to support legislation and funding to raise commissioner per‑diem pay from $300 to $400.

Noah Peterson, Legislative Services Office analyst, said the commission requested the increase and that the governor’s recommendation would provide $59,300 in fiscal impact if the required statutory change (referenced as “section 20, 1,002 of Idaho code” during the hearing) were enacted. Peterson also said the agency requested nine replacement laptops (about $12,600) per Office of Information Technology Services guidance.

Christine Starr, executive director of the Commission of Pardons and Parole, said she has led the agency for a little more than three months and that commissioners carry a substantial workload. Starr told the committee that commissioners typically have three weeks of hearings per month and that they are paid only for time “in hearing,” not for document preparation or training. She said commissioners commonly spend roughly 3.25 days of unpaid preparation for a five‑day hearing block.

Petitioners told lawmakers that commissioner pay last increased in 2017 (from $200 to $300), and that commissioners produced 5,907 decisions in 2017 and 6,670 decisions in fiscal 2024. Starr said she expects to lose more than half the commission by December and described the pay request as a partial remedy to recruiting and retention challenges. She said the agency will review commission models and decision frameworks to ensure public‑safety and transparency goals.

Ending: The committee did not take immediate action on the pay request during the session. The executive director said she would analyze processes and best practices for parole commissions and report back to the committee as needed.