In Montana, the state’s prisons are overcrowded, leading to inmates being transferred to out-of-state facilities. This has caused hardship for families, like Ellen Binkley’s, who are unable to afford the costs of visiting their incarcerated loved ones. Lawmakers are now considering bills to address the issue, including one that would require the Department of Corrections to consider inmates’ families when transferring them out-of-state.
Additionally, proposals are being discussed to increase capacity at in-state prisons, with plans for a $150 million expansion of the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge and a new women’s prison. These efforts aim to address the overcrowding issue and reduce the reliance on out-of-state contracts with private prison companies like CoreCivic.
Members of the Board of Pardons and Parole are also pushing for legislative changes to streamline the parole process and free up prison beds. This includes adding a sixth member to the board and eliminating the need for a licensed attorney on certain state boards. These changes, while incremental, aim to make the corrections system more efficient and effective in Montana.
Overall, lawmakers hope that these proposals, from supporting families of inmates to improving the parole process, will help alleviate the crisis in the state’s corrections system. By addressing these issues, Montana aims to build a better and more sustainable corrections system for the future.
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