Montana State Legislature

The Law and Justice Interim Committee is responsible for monitoring the activities of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Public Defender and any agencies that are administratively attached to those entities. The committee serves as the liaison to the Judicial Branch.

The committee is also responsible for carrying out interim studies as assigned by the Legislature and the Legislative Council. The LJIC adopted a work plan in September 2017 to guide the interim's work.

• LJIC Work Plan matrix -- adopted September 2017

Reports and other materials related to these topics will be posted on this site as they become available.

Assigned Studies

• House Joint Resolution 6: Study meth and opioid abuse
• Senate Joint Resolution 25: Study use of solitary confinement

Statutory Duties

• Administrative Rule Review
• Review of Proposed Legislation
• Required Reports

Agency Oversight

General Oversight Topics

• Fall 2017 Update: Implementation and Results of Criminal Justice System Changes
• January 2018 Update: Implementation of Criminal Justice System Changes
• May 2018 Update: Implementation of Criminal Justice System Changes
  • CSG Justice Center Montana Workbook (public safety data)
• Table: Implementation Status of Criminal Justice System Changes, July 2018
• Table: Implementation Status of Criminal Justice System Changes, Sept. 2018

Agency or Branch Specific Topics

• Department of Corrections : Criminal Justice Oversight Council and Justice Reinvestment Legislation
  • DOC report to Criminal Justice Oversight Council -- August 2017
  • SB 95 Board of Crime Control Transition Report -- March 2018
  • Summary of measures underway to meet the 250 county-jail-hold target -- DOC
• Department of Corrections : Board of Pardons and Parole
  • Statistics for BOPP Hearings -- November 27, 2017
  • Statistics for BOPP Hearings -- May 2018
• Department of Justice: REAL ID Act of 2005
  • Text of REAL ID Act
  • Letter re most recent DHS extension for Montana, June 2017
  • REAL ID Enforcement Update -- National Conference of State Legislatures, October 2016
  • Senate Bill No. 366 (2017 Legislative Session)
  • Section 61-5-128, MCA (Ch. 198, Laws of 2007)
  • REAL ID webpage -- Montana Department of Justice
  • Documents for September 2017 Meeting
    • REAL ID information provided to LJIC by DOJ in June
    • REAL ID information provided to LJIC by DOJ in September
    • Background Paper: The REAL ID Act of 2005 and Montana's Compliance Status
• Office of Public Defender
  • Fiscal Year 2017 Report to the Governor, Supreme Court, and Legislature

Committee Issues

Budget Monitoring

• 2017 Nov. Special Session Fiscal Report -- Legislative Fiscal Division
• General Fund Agency Reductions by Program -- Legislative Fiscal Division

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

• Department of Corrections PREA website
• Report: Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) -- Legislative Services

Monitoring SJ 3 study of Tribal Resources for members in Criminal Justice system

• State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee website
• Tribal Nations in Montana: A Handbook for Legislators -- LSD and the Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic

Criminal jurisdiction in Indian country

• Tribal Nations in Montana: A Handbook for Legislators -- LSD and the Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic
• Summary of PL 280 Bills in the 2017 Session -- Legislative Services

Marsy's Law

• Report: Marsy's Law 101 -- Legislative Services
• Text of CI-116 (2016) -- Marsy's Law
• Voter information pamphlet section for CI-116 (2016)
• Public view docket for legal challenge (OP 17-0358)
• Report: Statutory Rights of Crime Victims -- Legislative Services
• State agency resources
  • Department of Justice Marsy's Law website
  • Office of Victim Services website
  • Department of Corrections Crime Victims Information webpage
  • Victims' Programs Funding Update, May 2018 -- Board of Crime Control