20171009-113009-99

In August, the Governor participated in the Face-to-Face initiative, which offers policymakers the opportunity to participate in public activities through which they can interact with people who have first hand experience with the criminal justice system, including corrections officers, formerly or currently incarcerated people, and victims of crime. The Governor was very positive about his experience with the initiative, in which he and Montana Department of Corrections (MDOC) leadership met with the incarcerated women at a secure care facility which focuses on trauma informed services.

The Montana Board of Pardons and Parole (MBPP) transitioned from a volunteer, part-time board to a full-time professional board on July 1st and the remaining three parole board members were appointed to the parole board in August. Beginning October 1st, the MBPP will be fully transitioned and staffed per the new budget. CSG Justice Center staff continued to coordinate with the NPRC to conduct joint trainings for the parole board on best practices in parole decision-making. The joint training was originally scheduled for July, however, due to the delayed appointments it has been rescheduled for the beginning of October. CSG Justice Center staff will continue to partner with NPRC over the next several months to provide support to MBPP as they continue to transition to a professional board.

In August, CSG Justice Center staff conducted on-site observations of MDOC programming to provide feedback on the quality and capacity of MDOC in meet the needs of parole board decision-making. Observations of programming will continue into September. MBPP began piloting parole guidelines and will continue to do so throughout the fall with finalized parole guidelines going into effect in January of 2018.

Throughout August, CSG Justice Center staff worked with MDOC to revise the presentence investigation (PSI) process, which will include a newly designed incentive and intervention grid (MIIG) and will be piloted in September ahead of the October 1st effective date. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff made peer-to-peer connections between MDOC leadership and the Idaho Department of Corrections and the Kansas Department of Corrections to discuss MIIG implementation and performance based contracting with those other departments.

Montana leaders are narrowing down subaward projects and preparing to submit their first request in September. Leaders have identified a need for a JRI Coordinator and will be including that position in their initial request.

TTA Short Name

JR Montana Site Visits and Phone Calls (August 2017)

Status of Deliverable

Completed

Type of Agency

State Government

Provider Reference

Council of State Governments

TTA Title

JR Montana Site Visits and Phone Calls (August 2017)

TTA Point of Contact

Ms. Lisa Halstead, lhalstead

TTAR Source

Provider TTAs

Category

Direct Assistance

Type

Requests for Information/Helpdesk

Deliverable Markup for Questions

Please check the box next to the following questions if the answer is 'yes'.

Is this TTA in support of implementing or maintaining an evidence-based or promising practice?

Yes

Is this TTA in response to emerging public safety needs?

Yes

Demographic - Gender

N/A

Target Audience

Administrators

County

Lewis and Clark County

TTA Program Area

Corrections

Program Area - Sub Topics

Mental Health Programs

If your program area sub-topic is one of the 'Other Program Areas', please describe below

Justice Reinvestment

Demographic - Age

N/A

Demographic - Race

N/A

Demographic - Ethnicity

N/A

Demographic - Other

N/A

BJA Grant Manager

Latanza Wilson

Recipient Agency Scope

No

Additional Recipient Agency Names