Idaho juvenile corrections director flags rising mental‑health needs, requests targeted budget items

Ashley Dowell, director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 that the agency is seeing increases in youth mental‑health needs and some growth in facility census that are reflected in its budget request.

The department requested one‑time and ongoing items including a $380,000 one‑time radio upgrade from the Juvenile Corrections Endowment Income Fund, a $300,000 ongoing general‑fund request to cover higher costs for a residential substance‑use disorder (SUD) treatment contract, $232,500 for IT replacement items, and personnel/operating reclassifications described by the agency as net‑zero.

Dowell said staff in the agency are “amazing, passionate [and] dedicated,” and stressed partnerships with counties and community providers. Budget analyst Noah Peterson (Legislative Budget Office) summarized program structure, funds the department uses, and the agency’s recent expenditure trends to explain the requests.

Committee members pressed for more data. Representative Tanner asked for historical population figures and for evidence explaining whether the department’s census and…