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Senate committee hears bill to create DOC unit for violent-offender pre-sentence investigations
Summary
Sen. Laura Smith said SB 89 would add a specialized Department of Corrections unit (14 FTEs) to produce higher-quality, timely pre-sentence investigation (PSI) reports for violent offenders, aiming to reduce delays in sentencing and improve victim input; proponents and DOC officials said the unit could shorten turnaround toward statutory targets (30 business days) but carries a fiscal cost.
Senator Laura Smith (sponsor) told the Judiciary Committee that Senate Bill 89, carried on behalf of the Criminal Justice Oversight Council, would create a dedicated unit in the Department of Corrections to produce pre-sentence investigation reports (PSIs) for violent offenders. Smith said PSIs are resource-intensive documents—requiring victim interviews, law-enforcement reports, mental-health evaluations and criminal-history research—and that current caseloads left probation officers and PSI riders with excessive workloads that reduce quality and delay sentencing.
The bill as presented would provide roughly 14 full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) dedicated to preparing PSIs for violent and serious offenses. Proponents argued the investment would improve quality and timeliness, reduce pressure on local jails and courts, and better inform sentencing and programming decisions. Kelsey Young (Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) testified the measure would better capture victims’ voices and reduce lengthy waits for sentencing (testimony said delays of six to 12 months occur in some cases). Scott Twito (Criminal Justice Oversight Council/Department of Justice delegate) emphasized the PSI’s role as critical case data and said a dedicated unit could consistently meet statutory timeframes.
Brian Gookin, director of the Department of Corrections, and other DOC officials appeared as informational witnesses and said the department could hire the proposed FTEs and that improved PSI production would have cascading benefits (reduced jail time, faster sentencing, and improved placement decisions). Committee members asked about measurable outcomes and the fiscal note; DOC and proponents said the unit’s target was to meet or improve on the statutory 30-business-day production standard and referenced a fiscal estimate noted in testimony (one member cited roughly $1.2 million for the FTE package in questioning).
The hearing closed without a committee vote; the sponsor asked for the committee’s consideration of the bill given the systemwide delays PSIs create and the potential benefits to victims and public safety.
