MT: New Proposals to Decrease Native Prison Population

Native Americans are over-represented in Montana’s prison population. In 2005, Montana’s governor encouraged the Department of Corrections (DOC) and other state officials to look at models developed in Canada that create alternatives to incarcerating Native people.

This summer a Montana pilot program, modeled after one in Lethbridge, Alberta, will hire two court advocates to work with Native Americans held in pre-trial detention in Montana’s jails. The program is funded by a $100,000 federal grant and will focus on the district courts in Havre, Hardin, Polson, and Great Falls. The advocates are intended to help bridge language and cultural gaps and help people understand the court process. Advocates will also help keep tribal elders and an accused person’s family involved in the process.

Native Americans are 6% of Montana’s population and 16% of its prison population. Montana's DOC director has said the percentage of women prisoners is as high as 40% of the female prison population. These prison population figures do not include Native Americans who are arrested on tribal lands and are eventually incarcerated in the federal prison system.

This news brief is based on stories from The Missoulian, Advocates to Assist Natives in Court and Court Helper Plan Targets Native Americans. If these links are broken, check the archives of the newspaper listed.