<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Today, the Department of Corrections reported to
the Joint Appropriations and Finance Committee. It was an interesting
report. You may be interested in some of the details. (I apologize
for the length.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>Mr. Beauclair
joined other agency heads in expressing concern about his employees.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Low pay is a serious issue.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That, combined with stress of the work
contributes to the department’s losing 30% of employees each year.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The cost of training a new officer is
$10,000.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Accrued overtime for correction
officers in 2005 required comp time of 63,323 hours.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The cost of that comp time is
$1,196,000.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At $10,000 per officer
for retraining, the cost of losing 275 correctional officers is $2,750,000.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sexual offenders comprise 19% of
the prison population.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are 33
violent sexual predators in the state.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Mr. Beauclair believes a system should be assessment driven, and there
should be a better assessment of those likely to re-offend.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We do not have an effective treatment
program for sexual offenders.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p></o:p>The offender
population forecast anticipates an average increase of 5.6% a year over the next
four years.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That means the
incarcerated offender population will increase almost 400 a year over the next
four years.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Department has attempted
creative solutions to growth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They
have triple bunked, used tents, remodeled facilities, added cots, streamlined
and shortened sanctions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We cannot
stretch the system further without risking intervention.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By a Federal Court Decision, we have
been required to send inmates out of state.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In part, the decision reads, “After
reviewing the record in this case, the Court is convinced the IDOC officials
would prefer to incarcerate inmates within the parameters of the Eights
Amendment standards, but it has continually been denied funding for the
tremendous growth in inmate population.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The cost of attorney fees related to this decision was $156,000.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The cost of sending inmates out
of state is $53 per inmate, but there are related costs, such as that of
transporting the inmates.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In
addition, out of state contractors take model inmates, who suffer from the loss
of community connection.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">52% of <?xml:namespace prefix =
st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> inmates say
methamphetamine was the primary reason for their incarceration.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">At least 2000 Idaho inmates are mentally
ill. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Director Beauclair recommends
initiation of the Correctional Alternative Placement Program (CAPP) He requests
$1,504,500 to meet financial needs associated with contracting with a private
provider who will build, own, and operate a community treatment facility in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This would be a 400 bed facility.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Emerging issues for the
Department deal with sex offenders (treatment can impact this group), medical
costs (600 inmates have hepatitis C, and there are issues associated with an
aging population), and mental health.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>, the federal government has assumed
a role in health care.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This could
be a costly remedy.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Governor's recommendation for
the appropriation is $161,926,100.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">There is general agreement that
Tom Beauclair is a great manager working under very difficult conditions.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> received a national award for reduced
recidivism based on science.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In
addition, the number of inmates who complete the GED is up 8%.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let me
know if you would like more information.</FONT></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>