Regional Offender Management Center Feasibility Study

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category 3, the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) will provide funds for consultant services and a project director to model the Regional Offender Management Center (ROMC). The consultant will conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and feasibility study in each county of the pilot region. The consultant will also produce a detailed and comprehensive guidance document describing an ROMC model, including, but not limited to, governance and funding mechanisms, staffing needs, and job creation resulting from the model, and will outline strategic applicability for statewide implementation. The consultant will utilize experts in finance, governance, offender management, and criminal justice to assist in the development of the model.

The ROMC work group foresees a facility that will provide long-term housing solutions and programming services for a full spectrum of adult in-custody and community custody offenders. The group envisions a campus-type facility to house both jail and prison inmates with shared program resources, and kitchen and medical facilities. The ROMC will work closely with community partners and ultimately provide safer communities through the creation of partnerships that utilize taxpayer dollars more efficiently and effectively.

CA/NCF