Montana Department of Corrections

Proponents of a bill moving through the Senate that would define what the terms male and female mean in Montana law say it would have no financial impact on the state. But, opponents of the bill at a hearing on Friday say the potential impact is too large to quantify.

The state Legislative Audit Division concluded that at least $50,000 of inmate welfare funds went to inappropriate uses

According to the department, corrections officers at the state prison in Deer Lodge will see a $2 an hour raise and changes to the prison’s employee grievance procedure as a result of union negotiations.

Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin told lawmakers this week that almost 18 percent, or 59 correctional officer positions are unfilled at the state prison in Deer Lodge.

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Montana’s prisons have stopped allowing in person visits to inmates since March. As cases continue to stack…

The Montana National Guard on Nov. 18 withdrew from Montana State Prison after assisting the facility, strained by an outbreak of COVID-19 among inmates and staff. Eleven soldiers tested positive for the virus prior to and during the roughly three week mission.

The Montana Department of Corrections confirmed Friday two inmates in state custody died due to COVID-19 last month. The announcement came nearly two weeks after the first inmate’s death.

Advocates for incarcerated Montanans gathered at the Capitol Monday to speak against how the correctional system fills out census forms on behalf of inmates.

For months, Gallatin County was the epicenter for COVID-19 cases in Montana. The county was the first in Montana to hit 100 cases, the first to document community spread, and during the pandemic’s first month Gallatin County was home to more than half the reported cases in the state.

County jail populations dropped this spring as the state reacted to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Now, with cases of COVID-19 on the rise, inmate…