Employment Release for Residents

Idaho
Department of
Correction

Standard
Operating
Procedure
Title:
Employment Release for Residents

Page:
1 of 6

Control Number:
605.02.01.002
Version:
4.0
Adopted:
07/15/2009

Brian Underwood, chief of Probation and Parole, approved this document on 07/03/2024.
Open to the public: Yes No
SCOPE
This SOP applies to all Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) community release centers
(CRCs), correctional facilities with employment-release programs, and any resident who is
permitted an employment release.
Revision Summary
Revision date (07/01/2024) version 4.0: Updated the title from work release to employment
release; replaced “inmate” with the term “resident” and provided a definition of “resident.”
Changed how van and laundry fees are set yearly by field memo.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Scope ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 1
A. Statutory Authority ............................................................................................................. 2
B. Board of Correction IDAPA Rule ........................................................................................ 2
C. Governing Policy ............................................................................................................... 2
D. Purpose............................................................................................................................. 2
E. Responsibility .................................................................................................................... 2
F. Definitions ......................................................................................................................... 2
G. Standard Procedures ........................................................................................................ 2
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 2
2. General Eligibility Criteria ........................................................................................... 3
3. Employment Coordinator Site Visit ............................................................................. 3
4. Documentation Requirements .................................................................................... 3
5. Employers .................................................................................................................. 4
6. Administration of Wages and Fees ............................................................................. 5
7. Financial Obligations .................................................................................................. 5
8. Termination from Employment for Inappropriate Conduct ........................................... 6
Control Number:
605.02.01.002
Version:
4.0
Title:
Employment Release for Residents

Page Number:
2 of 6

Idaho Department of Correction

H. References ........................................................................................................................ 6

A. STATUTORY AUTHORITY
1. Idaho Code § 20-244, Government and Discipline of the Correctional Facility – Rules
and Regulations
2. Idaho Code § 20-242, Furlough
B. BOARD OF CORRECTION IDAPA RULE
None
C. GOVERNING POLICY
Policy 605, Furlough Program
D. PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to establish standardized
procedures for providing residents employment release opportunities.
E. RESPONSIBILITY
Facility Heads
Facility heads are responsible for implementing this SOP and ensuring staff members
adhere to the guidelines provided herein.
F. DEFINITIONS
Resident: A person who has been convicted of a crime against the laws of the state and
ordered into the care and custody of the Board of Correction. Resident includes any use in
Idaho law, Board of Correction rule, or IDOC policy or procedure of the terms “offender(s),”
“prisoner(s)”, “inmate(s)”, “incarcerated person(s)”, or any other term referring to a person
residing in a correctional facility in the care and custody of the Board of Correction.
G. STANDARD PROCEDURES
1. Introduction
a. The IDOC permits employment release opportunities to assist residents in:
i. Preparing for their reentry into society
ii. Earning and saving money for release
Control Number:
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Employment Release for Residents

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Idaho Department of Correction

iii. Paying IDOC past due cost of supervision (COS) fees
iv. Paying child support, restitution or fines, and other court ordered financial
obligations
b. Normally, employment release is only available at CRCs and Correctional Facilities with
employment release programs, such as the Pocatello Women’s Correctional facility
(PWCC), South Idaho Correctional Institution (SICI), or Idaho Correctional Institution –
Orofino (ICIO). Employment release is a privilege a resident must earn and is not
automatically granted. For more detail about employment release furloughs, refer to
SOP 605.02.01.001, Furloughs.
2. General Eligibility Criteria
a. Residents housed in community reentry centers, or correctional facilities with
employment release programs, can be allowed employment away from the facility. The
Employment Coordinator (EC) or designee for each facility must approve all
employment. To qualify for the employment-release program, the resident must meet
the requirements set forth by the IDOC’s Placement Matrix and the following guidelines:
i. Comply with the requirements outlined in SOP 605.02.01.001, Furloughs, Section I.
2 Employment Furloughs
ii. Complete a pre-employment class and is actively participating in his/her case plan
iii. Sign a Waiver of Extradition
iv. Sign a Employment Release Agreement
v. Sign a Employment Release Hire Sheet upon finding employment
b. Residents must abide by the Employment Release Agreement. Employment and job
searches are the responsibility of each resident.
3. Employment Coordinator Site Visit
The Employment Coordinator (EC) or designee must maintain contact with employers
regarding performance and work-related issues and conduct an in-person site visit on each
employment release resident every two months. The EC or designee should consider
whether the time of visit will be disruptive to the employer or employer’s patrons, such as
during a restaurant’s busiest operating hours. The site visits must be documented in the
IDOC’s offender management system (OMS). Site visits for those residents on the
Expanded CRC Furlough (see SOP 605.02.01.001, Furloughs) are verified by the assigned
Probation/Parole Officer.
4. Documentation Requirements
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a. The EC or designee will maintain an employment file for each employment release
resident. The file must contain all employment related release documentation (such as
the signed Employment Release Agreement, Employer Guidelines, Employment
Release Hire Sheet, documents received from the employer, and workers’
compensation forms). The EC or designee must maintain the employment file for two
years after the resident has left the facility and then destroy.
b. The EC or designee may also maintain a file or binder that contains signed Employer
Guidelines from employers who hire multiple residents. These on-going Employer
Guidelines must be reviewed annually (or more frequently as needed) to ensure that
they are still valid (reviewed to monitor lag time between residents employed at that
location or change in supervisors.)
5. Employers
a. Employers are required to sign Employer Guidelines before any resident begins working
for an employer. The guidelines establish rules for the resident and inform the employer
about the resident-related requirements on the job site. The guidelines also explain to
employers what to do with payroll, schedule changes, medical emergencies, or a walk-
away. The EC or designee must explain the guidelines to each employer and maintain
the guidelines in accordance with section 4.
b. Employment release residents are not allowed to work more than 60 hours a week or
more than 6 days in a row. The minimum required is 32 hours a week unless authorized
by the EC or designee.
c. Based on the work environment, nature of the business, or employment requirements,
the terms and conditions of the work schedule may vary by facility. The facility head or
designee must determine the requirements/needs of the facility, employers, and
resident accountability and must outline these requirements for residents on
employment release.
d. Employment release residents are prohibited from attending off-site work functions, for
example Christmas parties and summer picnics, unless authorized by the Facility Head
or designee. The facility manager may also allow off-site employee recognition events
on a case-by-case basis.
e. Gift cards from employers must be turned in to the EC or designee. Gift cards will be
mailed from the CRC at the resident’s expense.
f. Residents are responsible to purchase their own tools or work required items that the
employer does not provide. The resident is responsible for the property disposition for
those items upon leaving the facility.
g. Residents must be paid for training; and off-site training must be requested by the
employer in writing and be approved by the EC, facility manager, or designee.
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h. Residents must make at least minimum wage in accordance with the prevailing working
conditions and wages of this area and not violate state minimum wage laws.
Commission, piece pay, and salary wages are allowed as long as they meet the state
minimum wage laws. The residents are not allowed to be paid by 1099 Self-
Employment.
6. Administration of Wages and Fees
a. All employment-release wages must be sent directly from the employer or from the
facility to resident accounts for deposit. This method of payment is expected for all
residents except for those residents accepted into the Expanded CRC Furlough
Program. Those residents in the Expanded CRC Furlough Program receive their
employment compensation by direct deposit.
b. Each employment release facility must provide employers with pre-addressed stamped
envelopes to mail wages to: Idaho Department of Correction, Inmate Accounts, P.O.
Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0018.
c. Maintenance fees will be automatically deducted at a rate of 35% of the resident’s gross
earnings.
d. Travel or van fees will be charged to each employment release resident for
transportation to and from work, community healthcare services appointments, including
community-shopping trips. The van fees, or transportation fees, are set yearly by the
Probation & Parole Chief in a separate field memorandum, and the fees may be
adjusted on July 1st at the start of each fiscal year. The van or transportation fee will be
deducted monthly from the resident’s individual IDOC account.
e. In addition to van or transportation fees, residents will be charged laundry fees using
the same approach, which is that laundry fees will be set yearly on July 1st by the
Probation & Parole Chief and deducted monthly from the individual resident account.
Van/transportation and/or laundry fees are not retroactive and are pro-rated during the
month, on a weekly basis, based upon when the resident obtains his/her employment
release or resident worker status.
7. Financial Obligations
a. Employment release residents are required to address debts for court-ordered child
support, restitution, or fines, and IDOC past due cost of supervision (COS) fees in
accordance with SOP 114.03.03.024, Funds: Inmate.
b. If removed from the facility for disciplinary reasons, an employment release resident’s
trust account must be suspended to assess and collect any outstanding facility fees or
pay any debts accrued while housed at the facility. In addition, up to half of the
resident’s trust account can be used to pay court-ordered restitution, fines, and past due
COS fees.
Control Number:
605.02.01.002
Version:
4.0
Title:
Employment Release for Residents

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Idaho Department of Correction

c. Employment release residents are financially responsible for their spending and
budgeting. Sending money to an immediate family member or spending on themselves
(miscellaneous expenditures, clothing, shopping etc.) must be reasonable and
approved by the facility head or designee. Saving for their release should be the
primary financial goal of employment release residents.
8. Termination from Employment for Inappropriate Conduct
Termination that results from a resident’s inappropriate conduct is subject to disciplinary
action.
H. REFERENCES
1. Standard Operating Procedure 114.03.03.024, Funds: Inmate
2. Standard Operating Procedure 605.02.01.001, Furloughs
3. Employer Guidelines
4. Employment Release Agreement
5. Employment Release Hire Sheet
6. Placement Matrix
7. Wavier of Extradition
– End of Document –