‘Tough on crime’: Idaho prisons director who helped carry out death penalty exits
Published at
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho will have a new state prisons director for the first time since 2018 after its current chief leaves for the private sector, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.
Idaho Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt has led the state’s second-largest agency for more than six years after a stretch in other administrative roles with the state agency. During his 13-plus years with IDOC, Tewalt helped oversee two lethal injections, in addition to last year’s failed execution by the same method.
RELATED | Idaho prison renovating execution chamber after February’s failed attempt
In a news release announcing the administrative changes at IDOC, Gov. Brad Little said he was “deeply grateful” for Tewalt’s “outstanding leadership” during his tenure. Tewalt was appointed to the position while Gov. Butch Otter, who officiated Tewalt’s wedding, was still in office before Little took over.
“He championed significant, effective reforms in corrections and made Idaho a shining example of how we can be tough on crime while ensuring those who want to become productive members of society have an off-ramp to a better life,” Little said. “I wish him well as he takes on new challenges in the private sector.”
Tewalt decided to leave IDOC at the beginning of the year but agreed to stay on for the majority of the legislative session, according to the release. He declined an interview request from the Idaho Statesman.
His departure comes just a week after Little signed a new law that will prioritize a firing squad as Idaho’s lead execution method over lethal injection, starting in July 2026. The two-term Republican governor approved the firing squad as the state’s backup option for carrying out the death penalty in 2023, but has yet to use the method.
RELATED | Gov. Brad Little signs bill to let Idaho execute inmates by firing squad
IDOC also has yet to renovate the execution chamber at the maximum security prison to accommodate a firing squad. Construction is pegged at approaching $1 million, according to an IDOC spokesperson.
Tewalt previously declined to comment about his position on firing squad executions. But in testimony before a House committee in 2022, he urged lawmakers to “think twice” before approving methods other than lethal injection.
“When we start looking at whether or not it’s appropriate to authorize other methods of execution on behalf of the people of Idaho, I would just ask that we also consider the potential impacts on the people who would have to carry that out,” he said.
Tewalt also helmed the agency when a prisoner escaped in a high-profile incident in a coordinated ambush during a hospital transfer last year that left three corrections officials injured by gunfire. The prisoner and his co-conspirator now both face a murder charge, and two other accomplices received prison sentences after pleading guilty to crimes related to the escape.
Deputy director chosen to lead agency
To replace Tewalt, the Idaho Board of Correction selected IDOC Deputy Director Bree Derrick as its next director. She has been with the department for nearly six years.
“I’m incredibly proud of the men and women who work in corrections,” Tewalt said in the release. “I’m honored to have been a part of their great work, and I couldn’t be more excited to leave the department in Bree’s capable hands.”
Derrick, a licensed mental health counselor, is believed to be the first woman to lead the sprawling state agency, which includes an annual budget of more than $300 million overseeing nine prisons, five community reentry centers and seven probation and parole districts. The state prison campus south of Boise encompasses six of those facilities, including the state’s maximum security prison that houses prisoners on death row.
“I look forward to reinvigorating partnerships with key stakeholders to further drive down crime in Idaho,” Derrick said in the release. “The staff at IDOC do critical public safety work for Idaho, and I’m committed to increasingly highlighting their role in making Idaho safer.”
Derrick in her prior role with the agency managed the divisions of probation, parole, prisons and management services, according to the release. As part of those responsibilities, she oversaw IDOC’s push to recruit, hire and retain staff, and was instrumental to the agency’s efforts to be a model for corrections nationwide, it said.
“All of the recent accomplishments we highlight at IDOC are also directly attributable to Bree Derrick,” Little said. “Bree takes a purpose-driven approach to the implementation of operational changes that improve public safety outcomes for Idahoans, and I have great confidence in her ability to propel IDOC to even more success and keep Idahoans safe.”
EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.