The Idaho Department of Correction is asking state lawmakers for $45.3 million to furnish, equip, and staff three new correctional facilities currently under construction or recently completed. The budget request, submitted to the Division of Financial Management earlier this month, aims to activate approximately 1,000 new beds to address a severe shortage of prison capacity across the state.
Governor Brad Little is scheduled to unveil the state’s budget proposal in January. Legislators will then decide on appropriations during the 2027 legislative session. Without this funding, IDOC Director Bree Derrick warned that nearly $200 million in previously authorized construction investments would remain idle and unusable.
Capacity Crisis at South Idaho Correctional Institution
The need for additional beds is most visible at the South Idaho Correctional Institution in Kuna. Originally designed as a men’s facility, the prison now houses nearly 400 women and 300 men. The overcrowding has created logistical challenges that compromise security and daily operations.
Warden Jennifer Tyvand noted that female inmates must walk through the men’s side of the facility to reach dental appointments. This routine requires staff to shut down much of the men’s section, disrupting operations for hundreds of other prisoners. Women at the Kuna facility also lack access to ballfields and have limited space for classrooms and work-training programs.
Idaho began housing women in the Kuna men’s prison in 2012 after the dedicated women’s facility reached capacity. According to U.S. Department of Justice data, Idaho currently incarcerates women at the highest rate in the nation. On a recent Monday, nearly 1,400 women were incarcerated in Idaho state prisons, compared to about 400 in Utah.
In 2023, the incarceration rate for women in Idaho was 152 out of every 100,000 residents. In Utah, that figure stood at 28 out of every 100,000. Approximately 80 percent of women incarcerated in Idaho are serving time for drug offenses or other non-violent convictions.
Differences in Drug Sentencing Laws
The disparity in incarceration rates is partly driven by differences in state sentencing laws. In Idaho, possession of controlled substances typically carries a felony sentence. Possession of one pound or more of marijuana is classified as trafficking and triggers a mandatory minimum sentence.
In contrast, Utah generally treats first-time offenses for possession of controlled substances as misdemeanors. These legal distinctions contribute to the higher volume of inmates in Idaho’s system, particularly among female offenders.
Funding History and Future Facilities
The state legislature has already approved significant funding for infrastructure but has not yet allocated money for operations. In 2022, lawmakers passed House Bill 791, which authorized $112.4 million for a new women’s prison and $37.6 million for medical annex improvements at the Idaho State Correctional Institution in Kuna.
In 2024, the Legislature appropriated an additional $10 million for a new facility in Orofino via House Bill 768. IDOC plans to open three new facilities within the next year to alleviate the statewide bed shortage.
The current budget request includes $32.9 million specifically for the new women’s prison. This figure breaks down into $20.5 million for ongoing operational expenses and $12.4 million for one-time startup costs. The new facility, slated to open in December 2027, will include 560 beds and provide more personal space for sleeping and showering than the current overcrowded conditions allow.
Idaho’s total prison population is approximately 10,000 inmates, while total state capacity sits at just over 8,200. The state is currently short about 200 beds for women inmates, forcing some offenders to serve time in county jails rather than state facilities.
As the state grapples with these infrastructure and staffing needs, local communities continue to face the downstream effects of high incarceration rates. Recent cases, such as the arrest of a suspect in Pocatello for stalking and child sex charges, highlight the ongoing public safety challenges that correctional systems must manage.