Idaho senator suggests sleep shifts in prisons

BOISE — Idaho could correct prison overcrowding by requiring inmates to sleep in shifts, sharing the same bed, says Senate President Pro Tem Robert Geddes, R-Soda Springs.

Geddes' so-called "hot cot" proposal, announced during The Associated Press Legislative Preview, would keep prison work facilities open around the clock, offering prisoners who agree to sleep days and work nights more chances at scarce prison jobs.

"I can't find any place in the nation that's doing this — or in the world, for that matter — but why not? The rest of the nation works in shifts," Geddes said Thursday.

In October, Idaho was forced to send 302 inmates to a private Minnesota prison after U.S. District Judge James Fitzgerald said the state prison system was too crowded, calling the conditions "dehumanizing." Fitzgerald's order came in response to an inmate lawsuit.

The Legislature is expected to consider some proposals to build more prisons or expand existing ones.

The inmates volunteered to be sent out of state. Geddes said he would use the same approach to find inmates willing to sleep days and work in prison jobs on the graveyard shift. By using volunteers, he said, the state would avoid any potential lawsuits from night-side prisoners.

"Those jobs are in short supply, because we only use the facilities during the day," Geddes said. "I would think that would be a great incentive."

Geddes' proposal was met with some surprise by other Idaho leaders.

Department of Correction Director Tom Beauclair said he welcomed "creative ideas," but said there were several reasons why the hot-cot plan would be difficult to implement.

"I don't think that really works in a correctional setting," Beauclair said.

"I don't have the [sewer] lagoon capacity, I don't have the feeding capacity, I don't have the staff to add more inmates."

The federal court ruling also limits the number of inmates allowed in Idaho prisons, he said.

"It's just that we are so far behind the curve and there's a federal problem as well," Beauclair said.

Members of the Senate's Judiciary and Rules Committee also expressed some skepticism.

Sen. Kate Kelly, D-Boise, said the Legislature must fix what is causing overcrowded prisons — a lack of treatment facilities for mental health and drug abuse.

"There's the immediate problem with the beds situation," she said, "but the real issue is why those inmates are there and how we can address that."

Still, Geddes said, the court system has already expressed a willingness to work at night.

"When do we have drug court? At night," Geddes said.

"Isn't that amazing, that people are willing to come in at night, that judges are willing to come in at night, because that's when the courtroom is available? Prisons can take the same approach."

There are currently more than 6,800 inmates in Idaho, and that number is expected to grow by 30 inmates a month, Beauclair said. In February, another 150 inmates are expected to be sent out of state, followed by another 100 inmates every three months, he said.