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IDOC budget stresses rise as county and out-of-state placements increase; inmate labor revenues fall
Summary
LSO presenters told senators declines in the Inmate Labor Fund and Probation and Parole Receipts Fund shifted costs to the General Fund, with average monthly county placements rising from 675 to 991 and out-of-state placements from 585 to 761; IDOC said out-of-state housing was a flat contract rate.
Noah Peterson, Budget and Policy Analyst with the Legislative Services Office, outlined major budget pressures facing the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC). He said cash balances in the Inmate Labor Fund and the Probation and Parole Receipts Fund declined significantly from FY2023 to FY2025, which required shifting some expenditures to the General Fund; the primary driver of increased costs was population growth in county and out-of-state placements and in medical services.
Peterson reported average monthly county jail placements rose from 675 to 991 inmates and out-of-state placements from 585 to 761, prompting supplemental funding requests. He said declines in Inmate Labor Fund revenue were tied to a loss of certain work contracts and that IDOC was exempted from the Governor's holdback because compliance would have required furloughs of roughly 2,200 staff. Questions from senators sought follow-up on restored reductions, vacant positions, revenue factors, and the apparent mismatch between declining crime trends and rising IDOC populations.
