Hayden officials say prison re-entry center not wanted

HAYDEN, Idaho – Hayden city officials say they don’t want a re-entry center built in their northern Idaho town.

City administrator Brett Boyer sent a letter to the Idaho Department of Correction last week sayingat the city philosophically opposes the idea oa f prison pre-release center in Hayden, th e Coeur d’Alene Pre ss reported Tuesday.

Idaho lawmakers last year accepted a $12 million proposal to build the center in northern Idaho, and IDOC officials have looked for a site in Kootenai County. The re-entry center is expected to hold up to 130 inmates, providing them with counseling, job opportunities and daily drug testing. The center is intended to reduce recidivism by helping people transition into the community, prison officials have said.

Hayden Council Member Matt Roetter, a vocal opponent of the center, contends the facilities aren’t safe, noting that some inmates have walked away from southern Idaho re-entry centers in recent years.

IDOC already operates four re-entry facilities in southern Idaho and is building another one in Twin Falls. So far, the department has no re-entry center in North Idaho.