Idaho to send 250 inmates to Texas

Officials with the Idaho Department of Correction say up to 250 male inmates will be moved to a correctional center in Texas due to a shortage of beds in Idaho’s prisons and jails.

Director Henry Atencio said Thursday he knows the move creates challenges for inmates and their families, but Idaho simply has no more room.

The Idaho inmates are headed to Karnes County Correctional Center in Karnes City, Texas, which is operated by GEO Group.

Idaho has used GEO Group-operated prisons in Texas before, but pulled its inmates and canceled the contract after two Idaho prisoners died in two separate GEO facilities. The prisons were described as being “squalid” and horribly understaffed.

All inmates headed to Texas are classified as medium custody. The date and time of their move has not been made public due to security concerns.