Montana Inmate Records

Montana ranks as one of the states with a high incarceration rate and has about 414 persons per 100,000 residents serving prison or jail sentences. The state's imprisonment rate is higher than the United States' average of 355 per 100,000 total population. Montana's prison system population includes an estimated 4,691 inmates in state-operated correctional facilities, about 2,319 persons in private prisons, and approximately 1,720 offenders in local jails.

Records of all inmates serving prison/jail terms in Montana are kept by the relevant agencies or authorities in charge of the smooth running of the affairs of each correctional facility in the state. Generally, the correctional system of the state includes state, local, and federal correctional facilities. Although no federal prison operates in the state, Montana has offenders convicted of federal offenses in out-of-state federal prisons. Inmate records maintained by each prison/jail authority in the state have varying information.

Below is a list of information included in a typical Montana inmate record:

• Personal Information - This includes an inmate's full name, gender, aliases, race, date of birth, height, eye color, hair color, weight, mugshots, and identifying marks like scars and tattoos.
• Court Record - This includes case number, offense details, trial details, court orders, court dates, docket details, fines, and judgments.
• Arrest Record - This includes charges, the arrest date and location, the arrest warrant, and details of the arresting law enforcement agency.
• Sentencing and Release Details - These include the date the sentence was pronounced, sentence length, current incarceration status, details of incarceration facility, DOC ID, and the expected release date.
• Inmate's Conduct and Prison Disciplinary Actions - These include information regarding an inmate's behavior, infractions committed in custody, participation in rehabilitation programs, and disciplinary actions taken against an inmate for violating prison rules.

Are Inmate Records Public in Montana?

Yes. Inmate records are considered public information in the state under the Montana Public Records Act, which gives members of the public the right to access public records. As a result, every person has a right to examine and obtain copies of any inmate record or information unless public disclosure is prohibited by statute. Inmate records exempt from public disclosure in Montana include those that have been expunged or sealed and those of juvenile offenders. Similarly, state law prohibits the disclosure of healthcare records, financial information, and mental health information in an inmate's record. Such pieces of information are often redacted from an inmate's record before making the record accessible to the public.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Montana?

Records of inmates held in correctional facilities within the Montana prison system are maintained by several agencies, including the following:

• The Montana Department of Corrections - In Montana, convicted felons are incarcerated in correctional facilities operated by the state and under the management of the Department of Corrections (DOC), the third largest government department in the state. The DOC houses inmates in 22 correctional facilities (4 state-operated facilities and 18 contracted facilities) and keeps the records of all inmates under its jurisdiction.
• County Sheriff's Offices - The records of inmates incarcerated in the 44 local jails operating in Montana are maintained by the county sheriff's offices in charge of the local jails. Generally, local jails in the state confine individuals sentenced to incarceration not exceeding one year for committing minor infractions and misdemeanor offenses. They also house persons awaiting trial and are unable to post their bail.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - The Federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) is solely responsible for housing individuals convicted of federal crimes. It also keeps records of such inmates and makes them available to the public upon request. While none of its facilities operate in Montana, it has records of offenders convicted for violating federal laws in the state but sentenced to serve their prison terms in out-of-state federal correctional facilities.
• Police Departments - The police departments across the State of Montana primarily maintain records of arrests made within their jurisdiction. While not all arrests lead to conviction, those that lead to conviction and, consequently, the incarceration of offenders in prisons or jails, form a part of such inmates' records. However, unlike the DOC and county sheriff's offices, police departments do not have the authority to keep custody of convicted offenders.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Montana

Before initiating an inmate's information search in Montana, it is best to know where the inmate whose record or information is sought.

Find an inmate in Montana State Prisons

Anyone considering looking up information about an inmate housed in a state-run prison under the Montana Department of Corrections may conduct the search through the DOC Offender Search. They may either use the DOC ID number or the name (first and last) of the inmate whose record they seek as the search parameter. After entering the available search criterion, pressing the submit button, a list of results matching the search parameter will be displayed. An inmate's search result typically contains their personal details and demographic characteristics, sentencing information, and legal records.

Alternatively, interested parties may find detailed records of inmates incarcerated in Montana state-operated correctional facilities by visiting the prisons where such individuals are confined. The record custodians in such facilities are always willing to help in finding inmates' records as long as requesters can provide basic information to help them locate their (inmates') files. However, this may come at a cost.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Most of the local jails in Montana have online resources that enable members of the public to retrieve basic information regarding inmates in their custody. These inmate search tools are typically featured on the websites of county sheriff's offices supervising the local jails, and they allow inmate search by name, inmate ID number, date of birth, admission date, and other available search parameters.

In most cases, inmate information retrieved through search tools provided by county sheriff's offices is limited. As a result, anyone looking to obtain detailed information about an offender who is serving a jail term in any Montana local jail facility can visit the local correctional facility where the inmate is confined. With information such as the inmate's name, gender, booking details, and offender ID, the record custodian should be able to locate an inmate's file and furnish the requester with the desired records or information.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

While there are no federal prisons in Montana, members of the public can still look up information regarding individuals convicted of federal crimes in the state but serving their prison terms in other states through the BOP Inmate Locator. With the name or BOP register number of any federal inmate, anyone can retrieve certain information regarding inmates housed in federal correctional facilities from 1982 to the present. The search result usually contains information such as an inmate's full name, BOP register number, release date, location, sex, and race.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Inmate search tools offered by the prison or jail authorities in Montana generally do not have information regarding inmates who have served terms in the state's prison system and have already been discharged. As a result, such tools may not be of help when looking to find records of old inmates in the state.

One of the few ways to look up records of old inmates (discharged) in the state is to check the Montana Historical Society, Library, & Archives. For instance, the State Archives, through Archives West, has Montana State Prison records from 1871 to 1981, which include a collection of multiple records. Similarly, the National Archives has records of inmates who have been discharged from federal prisons. Reliable alternatives to these sources are third-party websites like Montanapublicrecords.us where interested persons may look up information regarding previously incarcerated inmates in the state at a small fee.

Furthermore, a person who needs detailed information regarding a former inmate who served their jail or prison term in any of Montana's correctional facilities may visit the prison or jail where the person was held during incarceration. Such records are permanently maintained by the record custodians who will make the sought records available upon request and presentation of basic information that can help facilitate the search.

Also, members of the public can submit FOIA requests to the BOP to request information regarding former inmates who were convicted of federal crimes in Montana but served their prison terms in BOP facilities in other states. For old inmates who had their time in state-operated correctional facilities, interested persons can obtain detailed information about them by submitting a public information request to the state's Department of Corrections by email or online.

Can I Find a Montana Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. Records of inmates currently incarcerated in Montana state prisons and local jails are accessible through the various inmate locators offered by each agency or authority overseeing such inmates. While each inmate search tool can only provide information regarding inmates in the custody of the supervising agency, third-party sites like Montanapublicrecords.us provide excellent platforms to look up inmate records in the state, regardless of where such inmates are housed. They serve as centralized databases for records of all inmates incarcerated in both state and local corrections facilities in the state, as well as federal offenders housed in out-of-state federal prisons.

Jails and Prisons in Montana

The following types of correctional facilities operate in Montana and are run by different authorized government agencies:

• State Prisons - The 22 correctional facilities in the state are operated by the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC). They include 4 facilities owned by the DOC and 18 other contracted correctional facilities. Each facility is categorized as either an assessment, secure, pre-release, or treatment facility.
• Local Jails - Each of the 44 local jails in Montana is supervised by a county sheriff's office.
• Private Prisons - There is only one private prison in Montana, and it is run by CoreCivic. Generally, the private prison population in Montana is the second-largest in the United States. The state also contracts with CoreCivic to accommodate inmates in out-of-state correctional facilities, including Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona and Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi.

State Prisons in Montana

Some of the state-run correctional facilities in Montana, including state-owned and contracted, are listed in the table below:

Private Prisons in Montana

The only privately run prison in Montana is the Crossroads Correctional Center.

Montana Inmate Statistics

• Montana Incarceration Rate - 414 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 700 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 119 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 89 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 2,319
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 7.5:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 0.6:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision: 1,174 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,106 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 137 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.6%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics