Joint committee advances multiple Idaho Department of Correction supplementals and fiscal‑2026 requests; mixed success in Senate

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee considered a package of supplemental funding requests and fiscal‑2026 budget enhancements for the Idaho Department of Correction on Feb. 28, 2025, approving most measures but seeing several fail to reach a majority in the Senate Finance Committee.

The committee approved emergency (FY2025) supplementals that the department said were prompted in part by a March 2024 shooting and escape attempt. Noah Peterson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the supplemental requests were intended to "patch vulnerabilities" identified after the incident and to meet population and medical cost pressures across the prison system.

Major FY2025 supplementals approved included: - Advanced surveillance technology (digital mail scanning, drone detection, phone call transcription/analysis): one‑time $795,000. Vote: Senate committee 9 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused; House committee 8 aye, 2 nay; total 17 ayes, 3 nays. The motion passed and will be sent to the floors with a due‑pass recommendation.

- Transport safety expansion (expand transport safety bureau to handle emergency inmate transport; includes 12 personnel and 7 vehicles outfitting): one‑time $1,148,000. Vote: Senate 8 aye, 2 nay; House 7 aye, 3 nay; total 15 ayes, 5 nays. Motion passed and will be sent to the floors with a due‑pass recommendation.

- Body‑worn camera pilot (year‑1 equipment/licenses; federal grant year 1 of 3, state match planned in later years): total supplemental $1,051,000 (general fund $27,000; federal $1,024,000). The motion passed in the House Appropriations Committee but failed to achieve a majority in the Senate Finance Committee (Senate committee vote 5 aye, 5 nay; House 7 aye, 3 nay; total 12 ayes, 8 nays). The committee transcript records that the item will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration despite failing to gain Senate committee approval.

The committee also approved several FY2025 supplementals to address shortfalls driven by population and medical costs: - County and out‑of‑state placement supplemental (difference between prior appropriation and updated FY2025 forecast): one‑time $5,939,400. Vote: Senate 7 aye, 3 nay; House 7 aye, 3 nay; total 14 ayes, 6 nays. Passed with due‑pass recommendation.

- Medical services supplemental (difference between original appropriation and updated FY2025 forecast): one‑time $5,957,200. After a correction to a typographical error in the fund table, the committee re‑voted. Final vote: Senate 7 aye, 2 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 9 aye, 1 nay; total 16 ayes, 3 nays, 1 absent/excused. Motion passed and will go to the floors with a due‑pass recommendation.

For fiscal 2026 (ongoing and one‑time enhancements), the committee split several IDOC requests by division. Key outcomes included: - Management services division (case management software, transparency software, IT replacement, training equipment, and a governor's proposal for a special assistant U.S. attorney for North Idaho): the motion passed the House Appropriations Committee but failed to achieve a Senate Finance Committee majority (Senate committee 5 aye, 4 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 7 aye, 3 nay). As a result, the measure will be transmitted to the Senate but did not secure committee approval there.

- State prisons division FY2026 package (ongoing costs to annualize FY2025 supplementals, advanced surveillance ongoing costs, transport expansion ongoing costs, state match for body‑worn camera pilot, contracted snow removal at St. Anthony Work Camp, replacement items, IT hardware): the motion passed both committees (Senate 6 aye, 3 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 7 aye, 3 nay) with a due‑pass recommendation.

- County and out‑of‑state placement FY2026 population adjustment: $4,527,900 ongoing (difference based on population forecasts). Motion passed both committees (Senate 6 aye, 3 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 7 aye, 3 nay) and will go forward with a due‑pass recommendation.

- Community corrections (annualization of Pocatello Community Reentry Center positions and replacement items): the motion passed the House committee but did not reach a majority of the Senate Finance Committee (Senate 5 aye, 4 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 9 aye, 1 nay). The item will be forwarded to the Senate.

- Medical services FY2026 population adjustment: $2,727,900 ongoing; motion passed both panels (Senate 7 aye, 2 nay, 1 absent/excused; House 9 aye, 1 nay) and will be sent to the floors with a due‑pass recommendation.

Discussion and context Peterson told the committee that several FY2025 supplementals reflected population growth and capacity pressure, particularly on the women's side. On transport expansion, the department described building a transport safety bureau to handle emergency and non‑emergent transports; the request included personnel and vehicle/equipment costs.

Several legislators asked about the sustainability and future operating costs tied to pilot projects and technology investments. Where the body approved only supplemental (one‑time) funding, staff and members discussed that additional FY2026 ongoing costs would appear in the next budget cycle or in separate FY2026 enhancement requests (for example, the state match for the body‑worn camera pilot).

What happens next Items that achieved majority votes in both the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees will be carried to the respective floors with due‑pass recommendations. Measures that passed only one committee are being transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the IDOC items and are listed in the article’s speaker section below. All roll calls and exact tally text are recorded in the committee transcript and are reflected above.