Idaho auditors say the state could save taxpayers millions of dollars by building a new prison to address the state’s overcrowded and dilapidated facilities. The Office of Performance Evaluations’ report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee took a close look at staffing levels, inmate populations, the condition of the actual prison buildings themselves, and how those factors will likely affect Idaho in years to come. Since 2016, Idaho has seen an 18 percent increase of inmates, significantly outpacing the state’s population growth, which grew by about 6 percent during the same period. Auditors say Idaho now has about 9,400 inmates – a number that could reach 10,300 by next year. While no definitive cause is behind the growth, much of the increase comes from former prisoners who are having their parole revoked. Currently, the state only has less than 7,000, resulting in many inmates being shipped to private prisons outside the state or housed in county jails. The report says building a new Idaho state prison would cost roughly $78 per inmate, per day, for a savings of $4 per inmate compared with sending them to out-of-state private prisons, and a savings of $17 per inmate per day compared with housing them at county jails. (AP)
