HomeMy WebLinkAboutCost of Supervision Account ManagementIdaho
Department of
Correction Standard
Operating
Procedure
Title:
Cost of Supervision Account Management
1 of 6
707.04.01.001
Version:
5.0
Adopted:
12/01/2008
12Brian Underwood, Chief of Probation & Parole, approved this document and it was
published on 10/20/2025.
Open to the public: Yes No
SCOPE
This standard operating procedure (SOP) applies to all Division of Probation & Parole staff
members supervising probationers and parolees under the jurisdiction of the Idaho Department of
Correction (IDOC), and all Division of Management Services personnel who process and audit cost
of supervision (COS) transactions.
Version Summary
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 ....................................................................................................... 3
1. COS Account Information ............................................................................................. 3
2. Billing Process .............................................................................................................. 3
3. Exemptions .................................................................................................................. 3
4. Adjustments ................................................................................................................. 4
5. Payments ..................................................................................................................... 4
6. Past Due Accounts ....................................................................................................... 5
7. Discharges and Expiration of Supervision ..................................................................... 5
8. Referral for Collection ................................................................................................... 5
9. Monthly Reports ........................................................................................................... 5
10. Updating the Client’s Contact Information. ................................................................ 6
Document
Number:
707.04.01.001
5.0
Title:
Cost of Supervision Account
Management
Page Number:
2 of 6
Idaho Department of Correction
11. Client Concerns ........................................................................................................ 6
H. References ...................................................................................................................... 6
A. STATUTORY AUTHORITY
1. Idaho Code § 20-217A, Appointment of Director – Salary – Powers and Duties
2. Idaho Code § 20-219, Probation and Parole Supervision and Training – Limited Supervision
- Rulemaking
3. Idaho Code § 20-225, Payment for Cost of Supervision
B. BOARD OF CORRECTION IDAPA RULE
IDAPA 06.01.01, Rules Governing the Supervision of Clients on Probation or Parole
C. GOVERNING POLICY
Policy 707, Cost of Supervision
D. PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to establish standards and provide
guidance for establishing collection accounts, billing, collecting payments, reviewing/auditing
account balances, closing accounts, and in some cases, exempting costs associated with
supervising probationers and parolees.
E. RESPONSIBILITY
1. Chiefs of the Divisions of Probation and Parole and Management Services
The chiefs of the Divisions of Probation & Parole and Management Services or designees
have oversight responsibility for the COS.
2. District Managers
District managers are responsible for implementing this SOP and for ensuring probation
and parole staff members practice the procedures and guidelines provided herein.
3. Fiscal Unit Manager
The manager of the fiscal unit is responsible for implementing this SOP and for ensuring
fiscal staff members practice the procedures and guidelines provided herein.
4. COS Supervisor
The COS supervisor or designated fiscal unit staff member is responsible for ensuring
COS fees are debited and mailed or e-mailed to those on probation or parole supervision,
referrals for collection are processed, and COS accounts are monitored as provided
herein.
F. DEFINITIONS
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Number:
707.04.01.001
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Title:
Cost of Supervision Account
Management
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Idaho Department of Correction
1. Client: 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. The term client includes
any use in Idaho law, Board of Correction rule, or IDOC policy or procedure of the terms
“offender(s),” or any other term referring to a person on probation or parole supervision
under the custody of the Board of Correction.
2. Correctional Management System (CMS): a digital platform used by correctional
agencies to store, manage, and analyze comprehensive data about individuals
throughout their entire criminal justice process, including intake, sentencing,
incarceration, parole, and probation, allowing for informed decision-making regarding
their supervision and rehabilitation. This includes systems such as Reflections, CIS, and
Atlas.
G. STANDARD PROCEDURES
1. COS Account Information
a. A person placed under the jurisdiction of the IDOC on or after July 1, 1984, is required
to contribute towards the cost of their supervision. As a result, the CMS is configured to
assess a COS obligation to each person on supervision. The monthly charge is
dependent on the person’s supervision level.
b. The following chart indicates authorized COS amounts:
Caseload Section 3,
Exemptions
Court
Caseloads
Supervision
Unit (LSU)
Caseloads
COS
Charge
2. Billing Process
On the 1st of each month, the Central Office COS supervisor will generate a COS billing
statement file from the CMS and send it to the Department of Administration for creation
and mailing of monthly COS statements. The monthly COS statement will reflect the
previous month’s COS fees (i.e., A bill generated on December 1st will reflect COS fees for
November).
3. Exemptions
a. An exemption allows the client to pay less than the standard monthly charge when the
client meets an exception to the authorized COS charge table.
b. The PPO may recommend a zero-dollar charge if they and the district manager, or
designee, find that any of the following factors exist:
i. The client has diligently attempted but been unable to obtain employment.
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ii. The client has an employment handicap or disability, as determined by an official
physical, psychological, or psychiatric examination.
4. Adjustments
a. The supervising PPO may request an adjustment on the client’s account to remedy
errors or to allow lower payments.
b. The supervising PPO must request approval in writing from the DM or designee. If
approved, the DM or designee will forward the request to the COS Financial Specialist
who will then process the request. Request must include what months are being
credited, the total amount, and the reason for the credit.
c. Adjustments may be made for the following reasons:
i. Credit: A credit is used to correct a billing error. It generally occurs when (1) the
client’s account has been charged the COS fee, but they have not officially begun
probation or parole, or (2) the PPO failed to exempt the account in a timely manner
when the client is legitimately unable to pay due to jail time, illness, or inability to
find work.
ii. Write-off: A write-off of the client’s account balance will only occur when the client
dies or is released from supervision, his account balance is under $90, and attempts
by the COS supervisor to collect have been unsuccessful. Accounts with no activity
for 10 years or longer may be written off by the COS Financial Specialist with
approval from the division chief on a case-by-case basis.
iii. Refund: A refund occurs only when the client overpays their account, and the
account is ready to be archived or has been archived.
5. Payments
a. Monthly payment can be made in the form of a money order, cashier’s check, personal
check, or a debit/credit card, through the contracted payment vendor, via telephone,
online payment website, district office kiosks, or by mail.
b. Should a client try to deliver payment to district staff, the staff member must first
encourage the client to use the payment envelope provided with their bill before giving
the client another envelope to mail payment. The staff member must instruct the client
to ensure their name and IDOC number are clearly marked on the money order,
cashier’s check, or personal check, seal the envelope, and the client must place it in a
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mailbox.
c. District staff may assist the client by mailing the sealed envelope to the contracted
payment vendor through the USPS.
d. When clients send payment, they must include the payment stub from their billing
statement for identification and processing purposes.
e. For their own record, the client should retain the remaining portion of the bill and money
order receipt.
f. When manual payments are received, fiscal unit staff will enter the client’s IDOC
number, check or money order number, and payment amount into the CMS.
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Idaho Department of Correction
g. The Fiscal Unit will be responsible for developing written instructions [manuals or
guides] detailing what payment data is to be entered into the CMS.
h. The fiscal unit staff will not send the client a receipt of payment.
6. Past Due Accounts
Sanction Process
a. Unpaid COS fees become past due on the 15th day of the month.
b. When the client’s account becomes three months past due, the PPO will initiate
sanctions against the client.
c. Sanctions may consist of the following:
i. Requiring the client to attend budgeting classes,
ii. Increasing the amount of face-to-face reporting,
iii. Imposing a curfew on the client,
iv. Revoking the client’s travel,
v. Sending the client a warning letter (with a copy to the Commission of Pardons and
Parole for parolees),
vi. Submitting a Report of Violation. (See SOP 701.04.02.001, Supervision Strategies)
d. All efforts made to collect COS fees will be documented in a note in the CMS using the
appropriate dropdown menu selections based on the type and location of the contact.
e. Sanctions are separate from the financial process. (See Fiscal Process below.)
7. Discharges and Expiration of Supervision
a. Upon the client’s discharge or expiration of supervision, the PPO must review the
client’s account and record, and make any adjustments needed to correct the account.
b. The COS supervisor must manage the COS account, inform the client in writing of the
amount owing and allow the client 30 days to respond to the collection letter.
c. Clients who make payment arrangements in response to the collection letter from IDOC
will be allowed a period of 24 months to pay their balance in full. The minimum monthly
payment required will be calculated by dividing their outstanding balance by 24 months.
If the client cannot afford that monthly payment amount, IDOC may accept a lower
payment on a case-by-case basis, but no lower than $25 per month. If the client allows
the 30 days to elapse without responding to the collection letter, the COS supervisor
may begin the process of collection.
8. Referral for Collection
A referral for collection will occur only when the client is discharged, or their supervision
expires, and they have a balance on their COS account.
9. Monthly Reports
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707.04.01.001
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Title:
Cost of Supervision Account
Management
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Idaho Department of Correction
a. The IDOC Data Innovations Group provides a dashboard with information on all COS
accounts, payments, exemptions, and collections that can be drilled down per district,
supervisor, or PPO.
b. Each month, the district managers or designees must review the reports and note
concerns with overdue COS fees, high balances, and exemptions that are no longer
appropriate.
c. PPOs will be responsible for reviewing the reports to ensure the accuracy of the COS
fee and client’s contact information (see section 10 for further details).
10. Updating the Client’s Contact Information.
a. Billings that are returned or bounced back to the sender (IDOC) because the address is
incorrect or out of service will be forwarded to the individual district where the client
resides. Staff can reference the CMS Cost of Supervision user guide for assistance in
troubleshooting address issues.
b. Each district administrative staff or specialist who is assigned to support COS billing, will
ensure the address is corrected and/or updated by working with the supervising PPO.
c. Each month, the administrative support staff assigned to monitor COS accounts in each
district will conduct a review of exemptions. The administrative support staff will report
any discrepancies to the district manager. The district manager or designee will ensure
that the account is reinstated as appropriate, and that the exemption is appropriate.
11. Client Concerns
Those on probation or parole supervision have the right to file a concern about COS billing
errors by completing an IDOC Concern Form and submitting it to the proper authority for
resolution. (See SOP 316.04.01.001, Grievance and Informal Resolution Procedure for
Offenders: Probation and Parole)
H. REFERENCES
1. SOP 316.04.01.001, Grievance and Informal Resolution Procedure for Offenders: Probation
and Parole
2. SOP 701.04.02.001, Supervision Strategies
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