IDOC prepares for out-of-state move
The Idaho Department of Correction is preparing to send 250 inmates out of state. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the move.
Q: Why is Idaho sending inmates out of state?
A: We’re simply running out of room. All of Idaho’s correctional facilities are full and the state has been renting beds in county jails. But soon all of the available jail beds will be filled. Some of the counties are already asking for relief, so we must look beyond Idaho for solutions.
Q: Where will Idaho be sending inmates?
A: The Kit Carson Correctional Center in Burlington, Colorado. KCCC is a medium-security prison 150 miles east of Denver.
Q: When will the first inmates go out?
A: The first group of 250 inmates will go out early to mid-August. We expect to have 450 inmates at KCCC by this time next year and could eventually have up to 800 inmates at some point in the future.
Q: How did Idaho choose the Colorado facility?
A: Two proposals were submitted -- one for KCCC, another for a detention center in Hardin, Montana. Four IDOC evaluators with experience in contracts, security and health care examined the two proposals and conducted on-site inspections of both facilities. The evaluators took 33 criteria into account and weighted them based on their importance to IDOC. The results showed that KCCC was clearly the best choice.
Q: What are some of the factors that made the KCCC the best choice?
A: It comes down to security, experience and room for growth.
● KCCC is more secure. It has a stun fence and a perimeter detection system. The Montana facility does not.
● The Montana facility has never been occupied. The company that operates the facility would have had to hire a staff and develop systems to run it.
● KCCC has been up and running for years. It has staff and procedures in place. As a result, its operator was able to contractually agree to specific terms and describe in writing how it will meet those terms.