Text of Gov. Kempthorne's State of State and Budget Address
07:57 PM MST on Monday, January 10, 2005

Governor's office

In our adult correction system, we have an inmate population pushing 100 percent of capacity. Numbers like this cause me great concern, especially for the safety of our corrections officers.

To address that, we will purchase a new structure to house medium-security inmates within the perimeter of the Idaho State Correctional Institution. This building will help alleviate some of the crowding without the full-scale investment in a permanent facility.

It’s time we take a good, hard look at the number of inmates as well as those on probation or parole.

Today I signed an Executive Order establishing the Criminal Justice Commission to help solve critical problems in the criminal justice system. In particular, I have asked the Commission to focus its attention in several key areas, including:

• Reducing our incarcerated offender population;

• Continuing our fight against the plague of methamphetamine abuse, manufacture and trafficking; and

• Creating partnerships and collaborative efforts to protect our communities against gang activity.

Full State of State and Budget Address http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-jan1005-state_of_state_speech.9876dfa7.html

• Reducing our incarcerated offender population;

There is and has been all this talk about doing something to reduce inmate population. When is someone going to see the obvious and let the ones who are past parole elegibility out? I know that not all of them who are past should be out. Some have continued to get into major trouble while in there. Some have done little if anything to rehabilitate, but there are a good many who have worked very hard at a chace to parole.

Chris is a perfect example of someone who is being held. He was parole eligible Dec 2003. In the last 3 years he has recieved over 30 certificates from classes he has taken. He has had one write up in that time and even that right up is questionable. There is NO reason he cant at the very least get a hearing date.

I personally dont think they want to let anyone out. This is just a bunch of BS to make it look like they care.


Sorry about the rant, but this issue touches home with me

This is STUPID!!!! :blah: it's a plain excuse not to get inmates eligible for parole to get OUT!!! Now they'll have more space, right???:mad:

How about my fiance who has his parole hearing this August? Is he going to be denied and thrown in this new complex -- to make room for new inmates???
How about those men who, after their first parole hearing, need to wait for 1 or 2 YEARS for another chance with the parole board???? :eek: THIS CAN'T GO ON!!!!! We have to do something for our men....THIS IS NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

aka: The Voice for the inmates :thumbsup:

Urghhhhhhhhhhh! This post makes me mad!! I just don't understand what the big deal is, instead of building yet more prisons, just so they can fill up and build yet more prisons. Why not consider other options, it's just not your state but several states. State budgets are going to shit forking out money to DOC, it seems there's always talk but yet never any action. I thought this year may be the year we see some positive changes, guess I was wrong again. So sad_Mel

It’s time we take a good, hard look at the number of inmates as well as those on probation or parole.

They used to do what they call "gold seal" people on probation and parole. After a certain amount of probation/parole was served and no problems came up they were able to free them from paper early. I was recently told by someone on probation that they dont do that anymore. It used to be when they gold sealed you that meant you were DONE. No more cost of supervision or anything. Now instead of that they do everything but remove you from paper. At first they make it where you only need to see your probation officer every 6-12 months then they make it where instead of visits to the office you can have a phone appt.

They are doing this more and more, but they are still collecting that $40.00 a month cost of supervision. You are paying them to NOT be supervised. The reason the probation and parole numbers are so high inst because they are releasing more inmates, but its because they are keeping more on paper so they can collect that money each month.

The botton line is they dont want to help criminals becuase thats their bread and butter. The state recieves money for everyone thats on probation/parole and it also makes money for every inmate.

I dont believe for one minute that things will ever change