Idaho juvenile corrections requests radios, treatment funding as youth mental‑health and facility census rise, director says

At a Feb. 18 Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee hearing, the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections asked lawmakers to approve one‑time and ongoing funding to upgrade staff safety radios and to cover higher costs for residential substance‑use treatment, while agency leaders described growing mental‑health needs among youth in custody.

Noah Peterson, budget policy analyst with the Legislative Budget Review, told the committee “this is a $380,000 one‑time request, from the state juvenile corrections endowment income fund” to replace and program radios at the Lewiston, Nampa and St. Anthony facilities, adding man‑down functionality and standardizing equipment across centers.

The request also included a $300,000 ongoing general‑fund appropriation to offset higher daily costs for residential SUD treatment. “The cost of daily residential treatment for this program has doubled since 2021,” Peterson said, noting the per‑day reimbursement rose from about $198 to $399 and average length of stay climbed from 31 days to 67 days, increasing annual program costs from roughly $1,260,000 in fiscal 2021 to about $2,700,000 in fiscal 2024.

Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections Director Ashley Dowell, who joined the agency recently, told the committee she is “very grateful” for staff and county…