Idaho DOC seeks ongoing funding for Recidiviz case‑management tools after federal pilots

The Idaho Department of Correction told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 4 that it is requesting ongoing general‑fund money to continue and expand a partnership with Recidiviz, a nonprofit technology organization that aggregates corrections data and builds case‑management tools.

Noah Peterson, budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the Management Services Division requested an appropriation of $910,000 from the general fund “for recidivism case management software” and noted the agency previously received one‑time federal funds and other funding to build tools used in probation and parole.

Director Josh Tewalt, Idaho Department of Correction director, described Recidiviz to the committee as “probably the most transformative partnership we’ve entered into as an agency in my entire tenure.” He said Recidiviz does more than deliver “a software package,” explaining the nonprofit works to surface, combine and automate data from outdated, disparate systems so staff can see who needs attention and compare outcomes across officers and units.

“The goals there are twofold,” Tewalt told the committee: to automate back‑end casework so case managers can move people through the system more efficiently and to incorporate documented actions and program participation into classification and case decisions in a more real‑time way.

Senators and representatives pressed the agency for evidence of return on investment. Senator Cook asked whether analysts had hard data showing the software’s effect; Peterson said he did not have hard ROI figures on hand but could work with the agency to provide them. Representative Tanner asked the agency to share dashboards and the specific data fields Recidiviz uses; Tewalt said the department would provide regularly used dashboards but cautioned about interpreting officer‑level outcome data without context.

Committee members also raised two policy concerns: data control and long‑term funding. Representative Tanner asked whether Recidiviz could manipulate outcomes by reformatting inputs; Tewalt said the department retains control of its data under data‑sharing agreements and the nonprofit pulls data from IDOC systems rather than creating alternate records. Several members warned about programs launched with federal grant money that later require general‑fund support; Tewalt acknowledged the concern and said the agency pursues federal experimentation and returns to the Legislature when a program is proven and should be sustained.

Petitioned costs and prior spending: Peterson told the committee Recidiviz provided services for IDOC in fiscal years 2021 and 2023 “that amounted to about $1,500,000,” largely from federal funds. The current request would convert part of that work to ongoing support to expand functionality to the prisons division.

Why it matters: Committee members said they want documentation showing concrete outcomes before committing continued state dollars. The department said it will provide dashboards and additional documentation to help lawmakers evaluate whether to convert one‑time or grant spending into recurring general‑fund commitments.

The committee did not take a vote on the request during the Feb. 4 hearing; staff and the agency agreed to supply follow‑up materials for the committee’s consideration.