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Corrections seeks ongoing funding for digital court access and public-records software
Summary
Idaho Department of Correction asked for recurring funds to maintain digital platforms that provide in-custody access to legal research and to manage public records and other transparency workloads; lawmakers requested cost breakdowns and justification.
The Idaho Department of Correction told the Joint Finance Preparations Committee on Feb. 4 it needs ongoing operating funds to maintain and expand three primary transparency tools: a public-records management system, an access-to-courts database and LexisNexis legal research access for people in custody.
Director Josh Tewalt and budget analyst Noah Peterson described a package that includes continuing subscription costs for GovQA (public records management), LexisNexis access for incarcerated people, continuing customization of the agency’s offender-management system and a second-phase rollout of an access-to-courts (ATC) database. Peterson said the Management Services Division requested $668,100 for the transparency software line, with roughly $611,000 ongoing and $57,000 one-time to implement phase two of ATC.
Tewalt said GovQA manages more than 6,000 public-records requests annually and has been crucial to tracking responses. He described LexisNexis as the digital successor to periodically purchasing and updating physical law books and said ongoing subscriptions allow in-custody access to court information. He said the ATC project is intended to provide process-oriented help—forms, filing packets and navigation tools—while LexisNexis supplies case law.
Committee members asked for a clearer breakdown of the three platforms, including individual prices and whether the department has existing capability to perform the same functions. Noah Peterson and the director said they would supply more detailed cost breakdowns and documentation to the committee for review. The request was part of a larger Management Services budget package; no committee vote took place during the hearing.
