Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1175 provides additional appropriations to the Idaho Department of Correction for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. For FY 2026, it allocates $23,763,500 in new funding across multiple divisions, including prisons, community supervision, out-of-state inmate placements, medical services, and administrative functions. For FY 2025, it adds $14,892,200 in new appropriations. The funding comes from a combination of the General Fund, the Inmate Labor Fund, and the Penitentiary Endowment Income Fund. The bill also authorizes 12 new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and includes a mix of operating expenditures, capital outlay, and personnel costs. It includes an emergency clause to make the FY 2025 provisions effective immediately.

Reason for Rating:
S1175 significantly increases taxpayer funding for the state prison system without introducing structural reform, privatization, or measurable accountability. While public safety is a core function of government, the bill reinforces Idaho’s dependence on a costly, centralized corrections bureaucracy by expanding payroll, funding out-of-state inmate placement, and investing in capital infrastructure—without addressing long-term capacity or systemic inefficiencies. The Idaho Republican Party Platform emphasizes limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the elimination of unnecessary programs. This bill moves in the opposite direction by deepening institutional spending without delivering conservative policy gains, resulting in a negative rating.