The number of prisoners in Montana under jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authority on Dec. 31 decreased by 3 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to a report recently released by the national Bureau of Justice Statistics.
The 43-page report is packed with a variety of stats related to a snapshot taken of people in correctional custody, including prison, local jails and treatment facilities, in every state on Dec. 31, and with year-long admission and release data.
This annual report shows there are lots of areas where Montana aligns with national trends. But perhaps one of the most interesting areas where Montana differs is in the number of prisoners who have been released from correctional custody and placed on some sort of correctional supervision.