FAQ

Our inmates do work. Inmates provide janitorial services and a majority of the maintenance work at the prisons and community work centers. Correctional Industries keeps more than 400 inmates busy at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center and the Idaho Correctional Institution – Orofino. Correctional Industries inmates work in trades such as furniture-making, upholstery, printing, sign shop and metal shop. Every year, inmate work crews assist the Idaho Transportation Department on road projects and the U.S. Forest Service on firefighting and forest rehabilitation. Inmates are also active in numerous community projects throughout the year.

The department manages four community work centers. A community work center allows offenders to work while becoming reunited with families and the communities. The centers also provide protection to the community through high accountability and security.

The Department of Correction realizes the importance of support from the families and friends of inmates. Visitation is allowed at every one of the IDOC's eight prisons and five community work centers. If you are interested in visiting an incarcerated offender, you must complete a visitation application. Visitation applications may be obtained by the inmate in his or her housing unit and mailed to potential visitors. Inmates and proposed visitors can expect a six (6)-week minimum processing time for visitation applications. The visiting room officer's supervisor will approve or deny the visitation application based on the review of the application, background check, and departmental policy.

Each institution sets its own visitation schedule. Inmates can pass this information on to approved or potential visitors.

No, we do not. State law requires the IDOC to provide an inmate, prior to release from confinement, written notification of the duty register. Sexual offenders must register with the sheriff's office in the county in which they reside in. The Idaho State Police maintains the master list of registered sex offenders living in Idaho. More information is available on the Idaho State Police website including photos of offenders classified as Violent Sexual Predators.

Idaho Sex Offender Registry

Security is the top priority in everything the department does, and Idaho’s institutions are considered to be among the safest in the United States. When offenders enter the system, they are classified at a reception and diagnostic unit. Those who are considered to pose a risk to other inmates are assigned living arrangements that provide higher security.  

Likewise, offenders who are thought to be especially vulnerable are given housing assignments where security staff can provide a higher degree of protection.  Security staff periodically interviews vulnerable offenders in a private setting to assure they feel safe. Inmates who assault staff or other offenders are immediately segregated from and face disciplinary measures.  They include loss of privileges and the possibility of new criminal charges.

The department has a formal grievance process that enables all inmates, without the threat of reprisal, to resolve problems. The process is explained to offenders when they begin their incarceration. A grievance must be filed within 15 days of the incident about which the offender is complaining.  The grievance should be specific and include facts like dates, places, people involved, a description of how the offender was affected, informal action taken to resolve the complaint and the names of employees from whom the offender has already sought help regarding the grievance.

Transfers occur to maximize security and capacity at IDOC facilities and to prepare inmates for re-entry into society.  Inmates are also moved to lower security facilities when their classification is lowered.

Most questions can be answered by calling the institution where your family member is incarcerated.  This should be your first stop for answers.  If you have a question or concern that cannot be answered directly by the officer on duty, you may be referred to the warden’s office.

The average cost per day to house an inmate in Idaho prisons was $55.50 for fiscal year 2013. The average inmate cost per day at the community work centers is $47.12 for fiscal year 2013. CWC inmates pay 35% of their wages to help defray those costs. Their wages paid $14.57 of the CWC cost per pay for fiscal year 2013. The average offender cost per day for someone on probation or parole is $3.94 in fiscal year 2013.