Montana State Legislature

2015-2016 Commission on Sentencing

The Commission on Sentencing has finished its work for interim.

Link to the Final Report to the Commission on Sentencing from the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

 

  • REPRESENTATIVE MARGARET ( MARGIE ) MACDONALD (D)
  • REPRESENTATIVE MATTHEW MONFORTON (R)
  • SENATOR KRISTIN HANSEN (R)--Vice Chair  
  • SENATOR CYNTHIA WOLKEN (D)--Chair


     
     

Public Members

  • Honorable Ingrid Gustafson
  • Mike Batista, Director of the Department of Corrections
  • Peter Ohman, Office of the State Public Defender
  • Mary Ann Ries, Pondera County Attorney
  • Majel Russell: Private criminal defense attorney 
  • Jennie Hansen, Probation and Parole Officer
  • Donna Whitt, Toole County Sheriff
  • Dan Guzynski, Assistant Attorney General
  • Derek Gibbs: Public Member appointed by the Governor
  • Reverend Roxanne Klingensmith: Public Member appointed by the Governor
  • LeAnn Montes: Public Member appointed by the Governor
     

Commission on Sentencing Topics

Information related to bills requested by the Commission on Sentencing is available on the Legislation page.

letter the Commission on Sentencing sent to the Supreme Court on behalf of LC 188 (2015 draft legislation) is available here.

Reports

Council Of State Governments Justice Center

Statute Review Subcommittee

Other Study Resources

Corrections

Judicial Branch

Justice Reinvestment

Montana Department Of Justice

Parole

Pretrial Release

Public Defender

Reentry

Risk And Needs Assessments

Sentencing

Substance Use/Abuse

Tribal Criminal Justice Systems

Other Resources

October 19, 2016 -- Commission on Sentencing Meeting Materials

Meeting Materials

  • Montana Justice Revinvestment Initiative Policy Options -- October 2016
  • Montana Justice Reinvestment Impacts and Reinvestments document -- Council of State Governments
  • Table of bill drafts (commission bills and preliminary drafts) - 10/13 update
    • Commission bills
      • LCj001 - Revising criminal justice laws (pretrial risk assessment and prosecution diversion grant programs)
      • LCj012 - Requesting an interim study to explore increasing access to tribal resources for tribal members who are involved in the criminal justice system
    • Commission bills requiring additional review
      • LCj002 - Generally revising criminal justice laws (PSI laws; risk and needs assessment use, training, and validation)
      • LCj003 - Generally revising sentencing laws (subcommittee recommendations)
    • Preliminary draft bills
      • LCj007 - Revising laws related to community corrections facilities and prerelease centers (9/2016 version)
      • LCj009 - Requiring behavioral health treatment services provided within facilities operated by or contracting with the department of corrections to be licensed by the department of public health and human services
      • LCj10A - Providing for licensure of behavioral health peer support specialists (9/2016 version)
      • LCj011 - Revising laws related to supervision of probationers and of defendants serving a deferred or suspended sentence
      • LCj013 - Generally revising laws related to the board of pardons and parole
      • LCj015 - Generally revising laws regarding housing options for offenders
      • LCj016 - Generally revising the crime victims compensation act
      • LCj017 - Generally revising laws related to offender intervention programs
      • LCj018 - Generally revise criminal justice laws (draft containing oversight and implementation policy options)

Other Background Materials

Meeting Materials

Meeting materials distributed at the meeting

  • Drafts to implement Statute Review Subcommittee recommendations
    • LCj003 -- most subcommittee recommendations
    • LCSC02 -- SB 90 revisions
    • LCSC03 -- Tiering revisions (subcommittee recommendation 6)
  • LCj009 -- Requiring behavioral health treatment services provided within facilities operated by or contracting with the department of corrections to be licensed by the department of health and human services
  • CSG suggested changes for LCj10A

Meeting materials posted/distributed August 2016

  • Memo: Overview of Montana's criminal record clearance policies -- CSG Justice Center

Other Background Materials

Meeting Materials

Other Background Materials

Meeting Materials

  • Law & Justice Interim Committee Update
  • Presentation: Behavioral Health Programming and Treatment in Corrections -- CSG Justice Center
  • Presentation: Parole Decision-Making in Montana -- CSG Justice Center (6/21 version)
  • Presentation: People in the Criminal Justice System and Community Advocates -- CSG Justice Center
  • Presentation: Justice Reinvestment in Montana: Summary of Analyses and Policy Options -- CSG Justice Center (6/21 version)
  • Handout: Montana Policy Options -- CSG Justice Center (6/21 version)

Other Background Materials

Meeting Materials

Other Background Materials

  • Memo to commissioners about March meeting
  • Summary: Jails in Indian Country, 2014 -- Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Report: Jails in Indian Country, 2014 -- Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Summary: Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2015 -- Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Report: Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2015 -- Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Stateline article: States at a Crossroads on Criminal Justice Reform
  • FAQs regarding South Dakota Tribal Parole Pilot
  • Public comment guidelines

Background materials posted/distributed December 2015

Meeting Materials

  • Justice Reinvestment in Other States
    • Article: Effective Sentencing and Corrections Reform: Sheriffs Getting Involved -- Sheriff Kevin Thom, Pennington County, SD

Other Background Documents

Meeting Materials

Other Background Documents

  • Video: How Six States Enacted Corrections Reforms -- The Pew Charitable Trusts Public Safety Performance Project

The Commission on Sentencing voted to forward 12 bills to the 2017 Legislature. A table listing the bills' numbers, summaries, and final status can be downloaded here.

The commission also voted in September 2016 to lend its support to the Supreme Court's existing bill draft LC 188 (now Senate Bill 45), which would revise treatment court laws. That letter is available here.

House or Senate Bill No. LC # Commission Draft # Short Title
SB 59 552 LCj001 Generally revise criminal justice laws
SB 60 553 LCj002 Generally revise criminal justice laws
HB 133 554 LCj003 Generally revise sentencing laws
HB 143 555 LCj018 Generally revise criminal justice laws
SJ 3 556 LCj012 Interim study of tribal resources for members involved in crim justice system
SB 61 557 LCj009 Requiring certain facilities providing behavioral health srvcs to be lic by DPHHS
SB 62 558 LCj10B Certification for behavioral health peer support specialists
SB 63 559 LCj011 Revise laws related to supervision of offenders/defendants
SB 64 560 LCj013 Generally revise laws related to the board of pardons and parole
SB 65 561 LCj015 Generally revise laws regarding housing options for offenders
SB 66 562 LCj016 Generally revise the crime victims compensation act
SB 67 563 LCj017 Generally revise offender intervention program laws

 

 

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