MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison

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MT DOC – Montana Women’s Prison basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 406-247-5100

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Montana Women’s Prison located at 701 S 27th St in Billings, MT are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

The Montana Women’s Prison provides an environment that is designed to improve outcomes for women’s recovery and reentry into Montana communities, by emphasizing personal accountability, public safety and restorative justice for crime victims.

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) defines “recovery” as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Montana Women’s Prison inmates define recovery and reentry more personally:

"We strive for positive change, personal growth and accountability in recovery. We embrace hope, healthy relationships, and faith in ourselves as we re-enter our communities as strong, respectful, responsible women."

The state-run prison’s operation utilizes a recovery/reentry model as part of the process for preparing women for reentry into their communities. Programs that are available to the women are medical and dental services, mental health, chemical dependency, educational, work and parenting.

More than 90 percent of all inmates at the Women’s Prison are involved in educational, vocational and recovery/reentry programmings.

The prison strives to promote child-parent bonding and development of parenting skills in preparation for family reunification. Special family “Kids’ Day” events occur once a month under the supervision of parenting staff to promote positive relationships.

The prison’s educational programs include classes to obtain high school-equivalency diplomas, college preparation classes, and courses to learn computer, personal and job-related skills.

In partnership with the prison, correctional enterprises offer inmates vocational training opportunities through the prison industries program. Industries such as garment and apparel print-screening, direct-printing, design work and embroidery, as well as assembling hygiene kits for prisoners. The prison paws program was started in 2004. It is a canine training program which allows inmates an opportunity to learn new skills and improve self-esteem while socializing canines, and teaching them basic manners so the canines are better community members. A garden project, launched in 2012, has enhanced the nutritional variety available to inmates and when an abundance of produce is available donations are made to the community food bank. The women who work in the garden and greenhouse can earn their master gardener certification in addition to life-skills and technical on-the-job training in greenhouse operations.

The programs offered by the prison are enhanced by community partnerships and the large number of volunteers who donate time to bring in faith-based, physical wellbeing/prevention, substance abuse treatment and education, healthy relationships, cognitive/behavioral strategies and life skills, creative arts programming, and victim awareness programs and activities. Victims who participate in restorative justice programs such as a victim awareness panel often experience healing; and it strengthens the inmate’s accountability and understanding of the harm they created through their crime while promoting a social bond to the community. These programs encourage change in inmates and provide ties to community, while allowing them to give back in a positive and productive way through interactions and community service projects.

The Billings Area Reentry Task Force is a collaborative partnership made up of community stakeholders; the Montana Department of Labor, Montana State University Billings, Montana Department of Corrections, other government entities, faith and community-based organizations and other interested local parties who promote the removal of barriers which may impede successful offender re-entry. This holistic approach starts at the point of contact with the criminal justice system focusing on employment, relationships and family, health services, alcohol and other drug treatment, and housing needs during an inmate’s transition from prison to the community.

visitation Info

MT DOC – Montana Women’s Prison

Visiting hours & Kids’ Day

Before traveling to the Montana Women’s Prison, please call (406) 247-5118 for any changes to the visiting schedule.

Visitors are required to check in 30 minutes before the scheduled visiting time.

MWP asks visitors from the local area to visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays if possible, to allow time for out-of-town visitors who can travel to Billings only on weekends. When the maximum capacity of the visiting room (44 people) is reached, out-of-town visitors are given priority over local visitors.

Normal visiting hours at Montana Women's Prison:

Tuesday	7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Thursday	7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Friday	7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday**	8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
	1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Sunday	8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
	1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

** Kids’ Day – Every third Saturday of the month is Kids’ Day. This is only for children who have been approved and scheduled through the prison’s Parenting Program; no drop-ins are allowed.

Teens may visit from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Children 12 and under may visit from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
On Kids’ Day, visitors other than children may only visit from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Who may visit

Family and friends who wish to visit an inmate must first complete a Visitation Questionnaire and be added to the inmate’s approved visitor list.

Questionnaires must be filled out completely and include the prospective visitor's full name, Social Security number, date of birth and gender. The form is available online or the offender may mail it to prospective visitors.
Mail the completed questionnaire to:
- Visitation Officer
  701 South 27th Street
  Billings, MT 59701
- Phone: (406) 247-5118
Individuals must be approved at least 72 hours prior to their planned visit to the Montana Women's Prison. Approval is based on a criminal background check.
The offender notifies prospective visitors of their approval or denial.Questions regarding denial must be directed to the Visiting Officer. You may appeal a denial by writing a letter to the Deputy Warden of Security.
Visitors may be on only one inmate's visiting list at a time, unless an exception is approved by the Warden or Deputy Warden of Security.
Unless pre-approved, no more than five approved people (including children) may visit an offender at one time.

What visitors can and can’t bring with them

Visitor searches – All visitors entering the facility are subject to search via a walk-through or hand-held metal detector, drug detection dogs and, when appropriate, pat-down searches.

All items carried by visitors are subject to search by entrance staff.

Prohibited items – Visitors may not bring:

weapons, narcotics, alcohol and tobacco products (cigarettes and chewing tobacco)
food, drinks or gum from outside the prison. Vending machines are available in the visiting area for visitors and offenders.

Contraband will be confiscated, local law enforcement may be called, and the visit may be denied. See MWP Prohibited Items for a more detailed list.

Allowed items – Most personal items must be left outside the facility. See the MWP Visitor Information pamphlet for a list of allowed items.

Photo ID required – All visitors over the age of 16 must bring a photo ID.

In addition to the required photo identification, visitors may bring the following into the prison:

one handkerchief
one small plastic comb (no pick, brushes or rat-tail combs)
eyeglasses
prescribed medical appliances (must have medical need documentation)
medications approved on a case-by-case basis – contact the Visitation Officer at (406) 247-5118 for pre-approval
no more than $15 in quarters in a clear plastic bag

Visitors with small children may also bring one diaper bag containing the following items (secured in the visiting foyer):

one clear plastic bottle of formula/juice
one new factory-sealed container of baby formula
one factory-sealed jar of baby food and a plastic spoon
four diapers
one baby blanket (not quilted and no larger than 3' x 3')
baby carrier (secured in the visiting foyer)
one small toy

Appropriate clothing

Appropriate clothing must be worn throughout a visit. Visitors are expected to be well-groomed. All visitors must stay appropriately dressed throughout the visit; this includes wearing footwear at all times. Violations of the dress code are cause for ending the visit.

Coats, shawls, ponchos, down-filled vests, jackets, headscarves, hats and caps are checked in and kept on a coat rack in the visiting foyer.

The following clothing is not allowed:

tank tops, tube tops, spandex, Lycra, see-through fabric or clothing with holes
tops that expose the midriff or show excessive cleavage
tops with hoods
bib overalls and wind pants
culottes, shorts, skirts and dresses that are above mid-thigh level

Conditions of visiting

Visitors and offenders are permitted a brief front-to-front embrace, including a brief facial kiss at the beginning and at the end of a visit. They may hold hands during the visit. All other forms of physical contact are prohibited and are cause for ending a visit. PETTING and FONDLING are prohibited, and hands must be kept in view of the Visiting Room Officer at all times.

Children 10 and under may sit on the offender's lap during visiting. The offender and visitor are responsible for supervising the behavior of children during the visit. If after being warned, they fail to control a child's behavior, the visit will be ended.

Separate bathroom facilities are designated for offenders and visitors. Visitors must accompany children 10 and under to the restroom. With the exception of using the restroom, if visitors leave the visiting area, the visit has ended. Visitors may not return to the same visiting session.

No items may be directly exchanged between offenders and visitors – Visitors are provided a pamphlet (LINK) that explains in more detail the dos and don'ts, and other rules governing visitation.

How to take hobby items or other property out of the prison – Hobby items and property may be sent out with an approved visitor if the offender has an approved kite that was given to the Visiting Officer prior to visiting. At the end of the visit, the Visiting Officer gives the property to the visitor, and officer and visitor both sign and date the kite.

Special visits

Visits of otherwise unapproved visitors, extended visits, or visits on non-visiting days may be approved by the Visiting Officer on a case-by-case basis.

Legal visits – Attorneys need to call 24 hours in advance and are expected to arrive on time or the visit may be denied due to institutional time constraints. Attorneys must present proper credentials, including photo identification. They are subject to search and all other Department of Corrections institutional rules and regulations.

Attorney visits are scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Officers may watch but may not listen to conversations between offenders and attorneys. Attorneys and offenders may exchange written material that has previously been searched, without being read. A non-contact booth is available to assure confidentiality.

Hospitalized offenders – Hospitalized offenders are not generally allowed visitors or phone calls. Exceptions (i.e. long-term or critically ill offenders) must be approved by the Deputy Warden of Security on a case-by-case basis.

Visits to offenders in medical isolation require approval by prison medical personnel.

Special housing cases – Offenders in maximum and administrative segregation may be allowed one visit a week, in the non-contact booth, if approved by the Visitation Supervisor or Deputy Warden of Security.