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DOC pilot screens incarcerated women for trafficking, finds high overlap with domestic and sexual victimization
Summary
The Department of Corrections described a pilot at the women's prison and Riverside Correctional Facility that used a baseline survey and tablet/in‑person education to improve identification of trafficking survivors; DOC seeks OVC grant funding to expand therapeutic reentry services.
Department of Corrections staff told the Criminal Justice Oversight Council on June 27 that a new anti‑human‑trafficking pilot at the Montana Women’s Prison and Riverside Correctional Facility has identified a high prevalence of prior victimization among incarcerated women and is developing trauma‑informed education, screening and reentry coordination.
Jamie Rogers, presenting DOC work that followed a 2025 legislature appropriation, said the department administered a baseline assessment in February 2026 (88 respondents) and learned that respondents reported high rates of domestic violence, child sexual abuse and sexual assault. DOC said those co‑occurring traumas informed curriculum choices and that staff are using both tablet‑based education and in‑person survivor speaker sessions to improve self‑identification and access to services.
DOC staff said the pilot will be the foundation for a DOC‑wide anti‑trafficking strategic plan and that if the department wins an Office for Victims of Crime grant it would add therapeutic components and specialized reentry coordination for trafficking survivors. Staff stressed the need for cross‑agency partnerships, community‑based therapeutic resources and data modernization to track outcomes.
