Montana
Auditors: Montana DOC fails to provide education, training to meet demand; lacks data • Daily Montanan
A new legislative audit report released Monday tells lawmakers it’s unclear if inmates with the Montana Department of Corrections are receiving much education or instruction because the data and record-keeping within the agency is either non-existent or so incomplete that it was nearly impossible for auditors to perform their tasks.
Furthermore, some of the programs offered through the Department of Corrections seemed to do little for inmates who face re-entry into a market hungry for employees, and those same inmates gain little in terms of practical skills.
For years, lawmakers and auditors have focused on the Montana Department of Correction’s education and rehabilitation — and for good reason. Statistics provided by the auditors show that when inmates are put through educational or vocational programs, their chances at recidivism, or reoffending, drop significantly.
Around one-third of inmates who enter the Department of Corrections do not have a high-school diploma. By state policy, those inmates should be enrolled in programming that will help them complete a diploma-equivalency, the report said.
“Research indicates that participating in educational and vocational programs can decrease recidivism by a third,” the audit report said.
For more than four years, lawmakers have been pressuring the state’s Corrections Department to update its offerings. In 2020, the performance audit completed by the Legislative Audit Division compared state and contracted facilities, but that report determined the Department of Corrections was not monitoring or comparing education, which resulted in lawmakers recommending “a formal, data-driven approach.”
“This portion of the recommendation was not completed,” the auditors found.
A response from the Montana Department of Corrections
The Montana Department of Corrections released a statement and provided information regarding this audit report. Department of Education Services Bureau Chief Travis Anderson said:
The Montana Department of Corrections appreciated the opportunity to assist the Legislative Audit Division in its “Evaluating Education and Training in Montana’s Prisons” audit of education and career training in Montana prisons (2020 – 2022). We are pleased to note that the DOC had already identified many of the areas in which LAD (Legislative Audit Division) provided recommendations in its report delivered in 2024 and has already made significant progress on those. The department recognizes the pivotal role educational opportunities in prison play in the future success of offenders when they return to Montana communities and strives to ensure the relevance of its programming to help ensure the best possible outcomes for offenders.
The department is particularly proud of new educational programming being offered at our facilities including:
- The Last Mile computer coding class. Our second cohort of students at Montana State Prison recently reached the half-way mark in their programming and are on target to graduate in September. For more on this, please click here.
- Second Chance Pell (now Prison Education Programs – PEPs). The DOC offers PEP programming in partnership with Helena College to allow students to earn their Certificates in Applied Science in Auto Technology and with Dawson Community College for Associate of Arts in Chemical Dependency Counseling. The second cohort of students in the Applied Science in Auto Technology program will graduate on May 6 at Montana State Prison. For more on this, please click here.
In 2022, a report showed that one of the department’s largest contractors, Core Civic Corrections, was embroiled in a cheating scandal for inmates utilizing the education programs there. After that incident, though, it appears that the educational programming either stopped temporarily or was restarted with little tracking. Meanwhile, the 2024 audit report also said that educational and work-training programs have been moved and reorganized so many times that tracking data is “underdeveloped or (does) not exist.”
The audit report had four key findings:
- The Montana Department of Corrections does not maintain usable program data to assess education and work program performance and compliance, and the department does not monitor recidivism.
- Education and work programs across the state do not meet demand and are not regularly assessed to ensure relevance or quality.
- Inmates are not consistently provided education, career counseling or re-entry assistance.
- Contracted secure facilities, like Core Civic, in some cases have even more problems with education programs.
No tracking equals no data
The auditors and the report itself released by the Legislative Audit Division repeatedly pointed out that officials couldn’t say much definitively because the data and tracking was either so sparse or incomplete.
“The Department of Corrections lacked accurate records for inmate education and work participation across public and private facilities. The data management procedures for this program are inadequate or absent,” the report said. “We intended to use department records to assess program performance and compliance with the law, policy and best practices. However, while obtaining and reviewing the records, we realized that there were significant deficiencies in the data management practices.”
A deeper look into the problem with data reveals that information about an inmate’s work history or education could be in as many as six different software programs and servers.
The report details years of lost data at the Montana Women’s Prison. And many facilities don’t track “milestone” achievements like receiving a certificate of completion or even a high-school diploma equivalency.
The report said that auditing staff worked for months in an attempt to either resurrect or rebuild data. When the auditors did receive data, it was “inaccurate, incomplete, or difficult to decipher.”
“We found errors in student records including impossible date ranges, incorrectly identified information and duplicate entries,” the report said.
The problems with the data didn’t just present problems for auditors.
“It’s unclear which programs are most effective, and accurate information on course achievement is necessary to assess interventions,” the report said. “The Board of Pardons and Parole also reported lacking information on education and training accomplishments for parole consideration.”
High demand, few opportunities
What little data was available to auditors showed that there’s high demand among the incarcerated population in Montana, with as many as three out of four inmates wanting the opportunity, but not receiving a chance.
“Education and work program opportunities at Montana’s secure facilities are limited, with long waitlists and inconsistently relevant programs,” the report said. “Inmates’ opportunities to access beneficial programs are not equitable between private and public facilities.”
Not only is there high demand among inmates, which auditors say the Department of Corrections cannot meet, it also found that some of the programs’ quality was lacking, leading to a mismatch between the training inmates receive and what is expected in the workforce.
“Work program opportunities cannot meet inmate demand, do match inmate interest or state workforce needs, often do not provide industry-recognized credentials and are not regularly assessed to ensure enough continued relevance or quality,” the report said.
And the auditors found that 75% of those who had been accepted into a program received no classes or less than one day of instruction. The ripple effect from the lack of education has left even the prison system with a deficit of workers with skills.
“Despite the expected overestimation of participation from this data, it also shows that most of the individuals (63%) received no education or work program opportunities between 2020 and 2022. Nearly a third have not worked a single job,” auditors said.
It also appears that leaders within the Department of Corrections are not monitoring the programs, or looking for ways to improve or update the education.
“Programs are not assessed for feasibility, market strength, or cost-effectiveness prior to implementation or on an ongoing basis to ensure the time, space, and resources are going to programs that serve the most inmates and the state in the most inmates in the most effective way possible,” the audit said.
The report documents that it’s hard for inmates to be prepared for re-entry into society with few new skills and even less help from prison staff. For example, other states have career counselors that help inmates begin preparing for education. Seventy-nine percent of inmates have said they’ve never met with a staff person to discuss education.
“Case managers shared that they do not often advise inmates on education or job skill needs, and were not all aware related categories existed in the risk and and needs assessment,” the report said. “Case managers do not typically assist inmates until approximately one month before a parole hearing.”
The risk, the auditors note, isn’t just that inmates being released from prison will fail, but ultimately the lack of education opportunities will become a problem for the facilities and the department.
“Lack of support for inmates to obtain education and training increases idle time, may lead to more dangerous prisons, increases subsequent recidivism rates and results in an inefficient use of limited education resources,” the audit said.
Problems at contracted facilities
Auditors also noted that it wasn’t just state-run facilities, like the men’s prison in Deer Lodge, or the state’s women’s prison in Billings, that were problematic. Instead, they noted that other facilities in the state, namely Core Civic in Shelby and Dawson County Correctional Facility, which contract with the state, have, in many cases, even worse educational programming.
“Private facility contract requirements mandate some educational and job opportunities to facilitate inmate reform,” the report said. “However, these facilities are failing to meet their contracted obligations.”
Several of the facilities say they cannot afford to hire staff. For example, Core Civic said that its average monthly teacher vacancy rate reached as high as 51%, the report said. Furthermore, there are penalties in the contracts that these private companies can face if they don’t offer education.
“Based on SFCB (Secured Facilities Contract Bureau) records, we estimate that in 2021, more than $100,000 in fines were not levied to address minimum teacher shortfalls,” the report said.
22P-04
A group of legal and civil rights organizations late Friday sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso, the country’s largest immigration detention facility.
“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said in a statement. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”
The Texas Tribune has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Filed by the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and law firm Farella Braun + Martel, the federal lawsuit comes less than a year after the opening of the sprawling tent camp.
In that time, the facility has seen at least three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting calls for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
The civil rights groups behind the lawsuit also alleged in a December letter that detained immigrants were subject to medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by officers, insufficient food and denial of meaningful access to attorneys. In March, ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator for a more experienced contractor, saying the agency would “work closely with them” to improve services, including higher standards of medical care. Still, in a subsequent letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups said the situation “continued to deteriorate” and outlined additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.
Friday’s lawsuit argues that conditions at the facility are “unconstitutional punishment” and violate detainees’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
“These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well documented, and Defendants’ continued inaction in the face of known risks shows their deliberate indifference — not mere negligence — to detainees’ constitutional rights,” the lawsuit said.
The petition, filed on behalf of four detainees, is also seeking approval to proceed as a class action to cover all those who are currently or will be detained in Camp East Montana.
One of the plaintiffs is Gerald Akari Angye, a detained immigrant who called the conditions at the camp “inhumane and cruel.”
Prior to this lawsuit, the 35-year-old man had filed a petition in January seeking release from ICE detention. According to the filing, Angye was a high school teacher in Cameroon but fled after being kidnapped and tortured amid a separatist conflict. He sought asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2024. An immigration judge later denied his application, and Angye appealed.
In a statement provided by the civil rights groups, Angye said he had been beaten at Camp East Montana and never thought he would face “such severely violent treatments” in the United States. He was also placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, according to the lawsuit.
“No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he said. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated like it.”
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said in a statement to the Tribune that she is grateful for the legal fight. A leading critic of Camp East Montana, the El Paso Democrat called the facility “a purgatory for human beings held there.” She also vowed to continue her oversight visits and demand for the tent camp’s permanent closure.
Camp East Montana, first opened in August 2025, is located on Fort Bliss U.S. Army base.
Expected to ultimately reach a 5,000-bed capacity, the camp had a daily average of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2, according to the most recent public data from ICE. The facility has also held the largest number of detained immigrants thus far in fiscal year 2026, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found.
“Camp East Montana is at the epicenter of the administration’s cruel deportation agenda,” Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement.
Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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BUTTE, Mont. — The Sentinel Spartans are the kings of Montana AA baseball.
In the inaugural season of AA baseball in the Treasure State, Sentinel took the title by winning three games in two days at the State AA Tournament, culminating with a 6-3 championship game victory over the Gallatin Raptors.
“It’s tough to find words right now,” said Sentinel head coach Brian Moser. “It was pretty emotional celebrating with the guys. Just really happy for them. What an opportunity. They took advantage of it. Very proud of them. Very appreciative of everything they’ve done for me and Sentinel High School and Sentinel baseball. It’s a great night to be a Spartan.”
Junior Stellan Ridley was stellar for Sentinel, with two triples, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. Kaden Thennis added two hits, two runs, and an RBI while also drawing a hit by pitch. Owen Dale had a hit and a run batted in.
“We have a great mentality,” said Ridley. “I’m so proud of these young guys. As a junior and the seniors, leading us to this and showing how discipline works. We faced some chirpy people, and we just stayed with our level of the game and we performed, as you can see. We won the State Tournament!”
Each win for Sentinel in the tournament came in vastly different fashion.
The Spartans earned a nine-inning victory in their quarterfinal against Butte on Thursday, then came back from a 6-0 deficit after 4.5 innings in their Friday semifinal matinee against the Glacier Wolfpack. But on Friday night, in a game that started at 10 p.m. and ended at 12:08 a.m., Sentinel took an early lead and never trailed enroute to a victory over a Raptors team that had lost just one game all season.
“I had never played a game that late. Going from the early game, it was good that we had that little gap, we got to recuperate and take a solid power nap and come back out here with a lot of energy. Because if we came out flat, there was no way. But we came out with a lot of energy, and we stuck it to them. I mean, that team was good,” said Ridley of their hot start in the title game.
“Baseball is a funny game. There’s a lot of ways to win, there’s a lot of ways to lose. Just happy for the guys for sticking to it and never giving up.” said Moser. “Honestly, it takes a couple of lucky bounces here and there in a State Tournament, and we got those and took advantage. Beat a really, really good Gallatin team tonight. Just extremely proud.”
Gallatin managed to tie the game at 3 apiece in the fifth inning before the Spartans scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh, allowing freshman pitcher Lucas Johansson to earn the win and the save on the mound.
“It’s a big deal. 3 runs are way more than 1. It takes a lot of what the offense can do away. So those were huge, huge runs,” said Moser.
Johansson picked up two of the three wins in the tournament for Sentinel, while fellow freshman Paxson Onstot had the victory in the triumph over Glacier.
“I’m not going to say that’s how we drew it up, but that hopefully gives them confidence to come back next year ready to go,” said Moser. “We’ll have a target on our backs, but that’s okay. A lot of youth, it’s fun.”
Keaton Elliott tossed the first 4.1 innings of the title game for Sentinel, allowing just two hits, three earned runs, and five walks while striking out two.
The title marked the end of a remarkable turnaround for a Spartans team that started the season with a record of 5-7 before winning 10 of their last 11.
“(We got) absolutely shamed by our entire school (at assembly). It sat with me this whole time and I hated that. I just had so much drive,” said Ridley. “What are they going to say now?”
Wyatt Ford pitched a complete game for Gallatin, allowing three earned runs, five hits and a hit by pitch while striking out 10 on 103 pitches.
Ford and Louis Musial had the Raptors only two hits on the night, a triple and double, respectively, while Harvey Kimmel had two runs batted in.
Sentinel ends their season with a record of 15-8, while Gallatin concluded their campaign at 18-2.
“I think Gallatin came in here a little cocky. One loss the whole season, thinking they were going to probably roll us,” said Ridley. “No. We showed them up. Their eyes got big, and they realized we’re not a team to mess with.”
HELENA, Mont. — Montana counties have accepted enough signatures for Seth Bodnar, running for U.S. Senate and Michael Eisenhauer, running in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District, to be on the November ballot, although counts are still unofficial.
County election officials are continuing to verify signatures submitted by Tuesday’s deadline as part of the candidate petition process.
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has not yet verified, certified or accepted the petitions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Counties must submit candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s office by June 1.
The Secretary of State’s office will then conduct its “statutory review to ensure the petitions meet the necessary legal requirements under law.”
The deadline for the November general election ballot to be certified is Thursday, Aug. 20. By then, all qualifying candidates and any potential ballot issues that qualify for the general election will be officially certified.
The following was out by the Montana Secretary of State’s Office:
The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.
Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate
- 13,327 required
- 18,772 accepted
- 7,812 rejected
Kimberly Persico, MT-01
- 6,742 required
- 563 accepted
- 156 rejected
Michael Eisenhauer, MT-02
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- 7,274 required
- 7,754 accepted
- 4,720 rejected
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