Correction:This story was corrected at 9 a.m., Sept. 16 to reflect that women state prison inmates are not sent out of state due to a shortage of beds. They are sent to county jails.
If a woman incarcerated at the South Idaho Correctional Institution in Kuna has a dentist appointment, she has to walk through the men’s side of the prison to attend it. To do that, correctional staff must shut down much of the men’s side, restricting everybody’s movement to get her to her appointment.
There are nearly 400 women and 300 men at the medium-security prison, which was originally designed for men.
South Idaho Correctional Institution Warden Jennifer Tyvand is hoping a new women’s facility, slated to open in December 2027, will help solve many of the challenges of trying to house both men and women there…