The 2007 session of the Montana State Legislature approved a 41% increase over the next two years in the Department of Correction’s budget. The new budget cycle began on July 1, and the total budget for two years is $355.2 million. The budget’s growth reflects a growing prison population and investment in programs that should decrease recidivism [0].

Montana’s prison population is projected to grow at 5.4% a year, and part of the budget increase will fund 480 new prison beds. Money is also budgeted to cover costs associated with a 5% increase in the populations of each of the regional prisons and the private prison in Shelby. In a separate budget, legislators allocated additional money to Montana State Penitentiary to expand the work dorm and food services areas and to work on the housing units.

The budget also included money for prison-based and re-entry programs. Funding was continued for two programs focused on meth addiction and for six pre-release centers with a capacity of 800 people. To keep up with the growing incarcerated population, the budget also includes money to hire 36 more parole and probation officers.

This news brief is based on an article in the Correctional Signpost, A look at new DOC budge [1]t. The Correctional Signpost [2]is the newsletter of the Montana Department of Corrections [3]. If the link is broken, check the web site’s archives.