Montana DOC's prison system spans state facilities in Deer Lodge and Great Falls, a private facility in Shelby, and — for roughly 600 men — an out-of-state CoreCivic facility in Mississippi. This guide covers how to find a loved one wherever they are in the system, establish communication, and stay connected.
Finding Your Loved One: Montana DOC Offender Search
Montana provides a free public offender search at offendersearch.mt.gov. Search by name or DOC number. The search returns current facility — including out-of-state placements — sentence information, and supervision status. This is the authoritative source for current location.
Phone Calls
For Montana in-state facilities (Montana State Prison, Montana Women's Prison, Crossroads in Shelby): Montana DOC uses GTL / ConnectNetwork for inmate phone services. Create a free AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com, register your number, and fund the account to receive calls.
For out-of-state CoreCivic facilities (Tallahatchie, MS): CoreCivic facilities have their own communication vendor contracts. Contact the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility directly at (662) 345-8480 to confirm which phone and video system is currently in use and how to set up an account.
Sending Money
Montana DOC state facilities use JPay for inmate trust account deposits. Go to JPay.com, search for the inmate under Montana DOC, and deposit by card. Fees apply.
For out-of-state CoreCivic facilities, the money deposit platform may differ — confirm with Tallahatchie directly.
Visiting Montana State Facilities
Visiting requirements at Montana state facilities:
- You must be on the inmate's approved visitor list — the inmate initiates this with their case manager
- Valid government-issued photo ID required at every visit
- Dress code enforced — avoid camouflage, clothing similar to inmate uniforms (tan/grey in Montana)
- No personal items in visiting area
- Visit schedules vary by facility — confirm at cor.mt.gov or call the facility before traveling
Montana's State Correctional Facilities
- Montana State Prison — Deer Lodge. Men, all security levels. 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722. Phone: (406) 846-1320.
- Montana Women's Prison — Deer Lodge (on MSP grounds). All sentenced women in the Montana state system.
- Great Falls Pre-Release Center — Great Falls. Minimum-security reentry facility.
- Crossroads Correctional Center — Shelby (private, operated by CoreCivic). 1000 Crossroads Drive, Shelby, MT 59474. Phone: (406) 434-0400.
Address mail to the inmate's full legal name and DOC number at their current facility address. All mail except legal mail is inspected. Check with specific facilities for current photo and card policies — some Montana facilities have moved to mail scanning to prevent fentanyl-soaked paper.
Montana Parole Board
The Montana Board of Pardons and Parole makes release decisions for eligible Montana inmates. Information and hearing schedules are available at bopp.mt.gov. Families can submit support letters to the board as part of the parole process.
Montana DOC headquarters: 5 South Last Chance Gulch, PO Box 201301, Helena, MT 59620. Phone: (406) 444-3930. Website: cor.mt.gov.
Further reading for families
For practical guidance on supporting your loved one, see our step-by-step guides on how to bail someone out of jail, how to write a letter to an inmate, and why inmate phone calls are so expensive — and what families can do to reduce those costs.
Many of these services are run by private companies. See how the main providers work, including fees and how to sign up: Securus, ViaPath (GTL), JPay, Access Corrections, CorrLinks, GettingOut. For every phone, video, money, mail, and care-package company, browse our full inmate service provider directory.