The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) will discuss the impact of budget cuts with prison inmates and ask for their help in lowering some costs, according to an IDOC news release Tuesday.
“We want to be honest and transparent with everyone at every stage of this process,” IDOC Director Brent Reinke said about the slimmer prisons budget. “Rumors thrive in prisons and we want to counter them as best we can with the truth.” Reinke said IDOC will encourage inmates to use less electricity and toilet paper, as well as complete educational classes and programs so that they can receive parole in a more timely fashion.
Idaho lawmakers set IDOC's budget on March 5. IDOC previously announced that they will trim their food service budget by $1 million. Read the full IDOC news release below.
IDOC Preparing Offenders for Budget Cuts
BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) is working with inmates so they will know what to expect as the department’s budget continues to shrink and changes are made to prison and work center operations.
“We want to be honest and transparent with everyone at every stage of this process,” said IDOC Director Brent Reinke. “Rumors thrive in prisons and we want to counter them as best we can with the truth.”
Perhaps the biggest change that offenders will notice involves IDOC’s food service program. To save money, the department will be doing more bulk purchasing of food items. That means, for example, that milk will be served in cups instead of packaged containers. Additionally, juice will be replaced by fortified drinks, which are less expensive but have more nutritional value.
“Nothing we are doing will compromise the nutritional value of the food we serve,” Reinke said. “Food management is critical to the safe operation of our institutions, so we will be moving forward very carefully.”
IDOC is also asking offenders to do their part. The department is encouraging offenders to help conserve resources like electricity and toilet paper. Additionally, the department is urging offenders to make the most of the classes and programs to which they are assigned so the offenders are prepared for release when given the opportunity.
The U.S. Constitution requires IDOC to provide inmates with adequate food, housing and medical care. Those costs and security costs cannot be avoided.
