Community Corrections Interventions for High-risk Offenders in Rural Montana

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category III, the Montana Department of Corrections (MDOC) will hire eight full time probation/parole officers. The MDOC has faced major budget cuts in funding for secure beds, resulting in an increase in the number of offenders placed under community supervision. The rate of recidivism among offenders who are American Indian or have co-occurring substance abuse/mental health disorders is greater than any other group of offenders within the state of Montana. Five of the eight grant funded positions will address the supervision needs of offenders from the seven nationally recognized American Indian reservations of Montana (Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne, and Rocky Boy's Reservations). The remaining three positions will be added to the Livingston, Hamilton, and Butte areas of the state, and will address offenders diagnosed with co-occurring disorders. The officers will work closely with mental health and substance abuse professionals to develop individualized case management plans within the field of community corrections.

CA/CF