But beyond political philosophies, some experts say that Idaho, in limiting welfare benefits while expanding prisons, is simply making a bad investment for taxpayers. But Idaho spends five times that much on each prisoner. This despite that Idaho's overall crime rate ranks it in the lower fifth among states. Idaho's prison population, at more than 4,000, has grown tenfold in the last 25 years. Simple drug possession, writing a bad check, drunken driving and driving without a valid license are crimes that can land a person in prison, though the governor just signed a bill that raised the thresholds for those felonies.
Some critics say the predominant attitude toward the poor is punitive.
Some of those who used be on welfare certainly feel stigmatized. She lost her welfare benefits in Idaho's overhaul of its system when Idaho became one of only three states that counts Social Security disability payments as income that would disqualify someone from welfare. Ms. Ziebart is one of hundreds of people in Idaho who have disappeared from the welfare rolls, but have not necessarily been lifted out of poverty. Though they are uncertain, state officials attribute the drop to the new time limit of 2 years and a host of new requirements. A number of researchers and educators from Idaho have joined national critics in arguing that the state's investment in welfare and early child education is too low.