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Corrections director says capacity and staffing changes will let Idaho bring inmates home in 24–36 months
Summary
Director Josh Tewalt told the oversight committee that Idaho has added more than 500 beds since OPE's 2020 report, expects roughly 2,000 new beds over time, and plans to repatriate about 658 out‑of‑state inmates within 24–36 months as new facilities (including a planned female facility) come online.
Josh Tewalt, director of the Idaho Department of Correction, updated the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on progress since OPE's 2020 managing‑correctional‑capacity report. He said the department has added over 500 beds in the past 24 months and expects additional capacity to bring the total new beds toward roughly 2,000 over time, with more to follow as projects complete.
Tewalt said the department has focused on adding minimum and non‑secure custody beds purpose‑built for rehabilitation and return to communities. He described efforts to redesign staffing by creating correctional administrative technicians to handle administrative and control tasks that free sworn officers for higher‑impact security and programming duties.
On out‑of‑state placements, Tewalt said Idaho currently houses about 658 residents under contract out of state, and that number has ranged as low as 350; he estimated that the department could return those residents to Idaho within 24 to 36 months as new facilities — including a planned 858‑bed female facility that will free minimum‑custody male beds — reach operation.
Tewalt also noted the department's partnership with a nonprofit tech firm, Recidiviz, to improve longer‑range forecasting and policy simulation. He emphasized the agency's efforts to reduce maintenance liabilities by replacing dilapidated housing units with modern, purpose‑driven infrastructure rather than building excessively large new prisons.
