Montana Department of Corrections (MT DOC) — Inmate Records & Recent Arrests

Montana DOC: ConWeb Offender Search, Visits, Money & Mail

This page holds the inmate records we have on file for the Montana Department of Corrections (MT DOC). Montana runs a statewide system that includes the Montana State Prison, the Montana Women's Prison, and other facilities, and it also places some people in contract facilities both in Montana and out of state. The person you are looking for could be housed in any of these settings and may be transferred during their sentence. The records below are a historical directory of custody entries we hold — a starting point for identifying the right person and taking the next step — not a live count, so confirm anything current against the state's official search. For more on this facility — history, programs, and what to expect — see our full facility profile.

Finding someone with ConWeb

Montana's public search tool is ConWeb, which searches the records of convicted felons in state custody. You can look someone up by their Department of Corrections ID or by first and last name, and the results show the person's current location, status, and release date. On this page you can also browse the records we hold by last name (A–Z), gender, or age to narrow a common name, then confirm the current facility and DOC ID through ConWeb. Because people are transferred — including to contract facilities — a record here can lag behind a recent move, so verify before you plan anything. The department's central office in Helena can be reached at (406) 444-3930.

Mail is scanned and delivered to tablets

Montana has moved to digital mail at its main facilities. Personal mail for people at the Montana State Prison, Montana Women's Prison, Riverside, and Pine Hills Correctional Facility is scanned at an off-site facility and delivered digitally to the person's assigned tablet; any personal mail that arrives directly at these facilities is returned to the sender. That means you must use the correct off-site processing address for your person's facility rather than the prison's street address. Follow the current mail rules on content and photos, keep letters simple, and skip stickers, glitter, or adhesive. Because contract facilities handle mail differently, confirm the process if your loved one is housed in one.

Contract facilities work differently

An important quirk of Montana's system is that the DOC places some people in contract facilities within Montana and in other states. These facilities have their own processes for phone calls, sending money, setting up in-person visits, and other activities, which can differ substantially from the state-run prisons. So when you locate your person, note whether they are at a state facility or a contract facility, because it changes how you do nearly everything. If your loved one is transferred to or from a contract facility, re-check ConWeb and confirm the new facility's specific procedures before you send money or plan a visit.

Visitation, including video visits

Visiting in Montana starts with a visitor application submitted to the facility where the person is held. The department also offers video visitation, which is especially valuable given Montana's size and the long distances many families must travel. Each facility sets its own visiting days, hours, and rules, so once your person is assigned, confirm the specific schedule, get your application approved, and bring valid photo identification for in-person visits. Confirm the schedule before you travel in case it has changed, and consider video visits when an in-person trip across the state is not practical.

Sending money

Montana provides approved methods for adding money to a person's account through its inmate financial-transactions process, typically electronic deposits with mailed options available. Funds let a person buy commissary items — hygiene products, snacks, writing materials — and cover communication and tablet costs, and for many families this steady, practical support is the most useful thing they can offer. Always include the correct DOC ID so the deposit reaches the right account, and allow processing time before the balance is available. If your person is at a contract facility, confirm that facility's deposit method, which may differ from the state process.

Phone calls and tablet contact

Calls are placed by the incarcerated person out to numbers on their approved list, so set up and fund an account with the facility's phone provider in advance and make sure your number is approved so their calls connect. Because Montana delivers mail and messages to tablets, tablet-based electronic messaging can be a faster way to exchange short notes than physical mail. For families who talk frequently, lower-cost calling arrangements can meaningfully reduce the expense over a long sentence, particularly when great distances make in-person visits rare.

Programs, reentry, and staying involved

Because MT DOC holds sentenced people, many families are also navigating classification, program participation, and release planning rather than a pending trial. Montana offers education, treatment, and work opportunities intended to prepare people to return to the community. Staying closely involved — encouraging participation and helping line up the practical pieces of reentry, such as housing and identification — is one of the most effective things a family can do, and consistent contact is associated with smoother transitions back to the community.

Reading this page responsibly

Every entry here is drawn from public records and captures a moment in time rather than the live state of Montana's corrections system. People are reclassified, transferred, and released, so a listing can be out of date, and details such as a name, an identification number, or an age may be recorded imperfectly — a reflection of the underlying data, never a comment on the individual. Read any record as a pointer, and settle the facts through the ConWeb search, which is the authoritative source. If a person you know is missing, they may be held locally, moving through intake, or newly admitted, so give it a day and try again, or search on the last name alone. Above all, an arrest or a listing is not a conviction; everyone here retains the presumption of innocence.

Next steps

Confirm your loved one's DOC ID and current facility through ConWeb — noting whether it is a state or contract facility — then use this page to keep track and take the next step: submit your visitor application, set up deposits, and open a steady line of mail to the correct scanning address. Verify anything time-sensitive with the facility before you travel or send anything.

Sources: cor.mt.gov/FriendsandFamily/, cor.mt.gov/FriendsandFamily/Mail