Prison Bills Still Moving

The last of Gov. Phil Batt’s recommendations to slow the dramatic growth of Idaho’s prison population has cleared the state Senate.

The Senate voted unanimously on Friday for the legislation reclassification as misdemeanors all driving without privilege offenses that have been felonies carrying prison time.

The bill now goes to the House, where the other three are pending. They increase the flexibility of the parole board to deal with inmate release and reduce from felonies to misdemeanors check bouncing under $250 and theft under $1,000.

Batt made the recommendations last summer after completing what he called his committee of one investigation into ways to free up space in the state’s overcrowded prisons.

But he has acknowledged that his proposals at best will move just several hundred of the 4,000 inmates out of the prison system at a savings of a few million dollars. Batt says it will ease - though no eliminate - the need for building more expensive cell space in the future. , DataTimes