New Idaho correction director named

BOISE – Former Ada County Sheriff Vaughn Killeen was named director of the Idaho Department of Correction on Friday, just days after Gov. Jim Risch criticized the previous director over overcrowding that’s forcing more inmates to be sent out of state.

Tom Beauclair, director since 2001, resigned. His last day is July 28.

Risch recruited Killeen, 60, who once sued the Department of Correction for not quickly transporting prisoners to state prisons from county facilities.

At a Statehouse news conference, Risch outlined three goals for Killeen at the agency, which oversees 7,000 inmates and 1,350 employees: Cut overcrowding, improve guard morale and boost inmates’ access to drug rehabilitation and anger management classes to speed the release of 600 prisoners who have served their time, but haven’t finished required courses.

“I share those priorities,” said Killeen, whose appointment was backed by the Board of Correction.

Currently, 500 state inmates are housed in Idaho county jails.

An additional 450 Idaho inmates are in Minnesota and Texas. An additional 100 will be sent elsewhere soon.

At a meeting Tuesday, Risch approved this latest prisoner transfer – but not before criticizing Beauclair’s agency’s long-term planning to address an inmate population that’s growing by 30 prisoners a month.

On Friday, Risch declined to say if he’d asked Beauclair to quit because of differences over leadership.

Instead, he praised Beauclair’s three decades with the department.

“I don’t want to dwell on the past,” Risch said.

In a statement, Beauclair said he’s been thinking of retiring.

“I highly support Vaughn Killeen as the director of the Idaho Department of Correction,” he said.

Killeen, a Republican like Risch, served 20 years as Ada County’s elected sheriff. His fifth term ended January 2005.

He lost a run for Boise mayor in 2003.

A year ago, he became chief executive officer of the Red Cross’s Greater Idaho Chapter. Killeen said he will resign there to take the state job, with its annual salary of $122,449.

In 1990, Killeen successfully sued then-Correction Director Richard Vernon for not quickly transporting inmates from space-strapped county jails to similarly overcrowded state facilities.

Today, he believes this experience as a local law enforcer will help improve a still-brittle atmosphere between the Correction Department and county sheriffs.

This week, Kootenai County Sheriff Rocky Watson again complained of the lingering problem of sluggish transports that are still related to overcrowding.

“I can see issues from the side of a county sheriff, and the side of the state, to foster a better relationship,” Killeen said.

Neither Risch nor Killeen offered specifics on how they’ll tackle problems but said the Legislature would be involved.

“Legislatures hate spending money on corrections,” Risch said. “Before they spend the money, they want to see a viable plan.” Beauclair has said Idaho must invest $180 million in coming years to increase bed space.

The 2006 Legislature approved pay raises for guards.

Lawmakers also backed a new $16 million, 300-bed expansion at the prison near Boise and a first installment on a 400-bed substance-abuse treatment center.

It’s unclear when the facilities will open.