A new report places Montana among the world leaders in incarcerating women, with a rate of 282 per 100,000 women, topping most nations and trailing only South Dakota among U.S. states.
The analysis from the Prison Policy Initiative suggests it is due to policies criminalizing low-level offenses associated with poverty.
Wanda Bertram, communications strategist for the initiative, said states appear to be doubling down on prosecuting offenses to which women are vulnerable when facing hardships.
"Offenses that are associated with homelessness like sleeping on the street, panhandling, trespassing, offenses that are correlated with poverty, like petty theft, drug offenses," Bertram outlined.
The report argued the trend is exacerbated when states choose to build new prisons instead of addressing root causes. This comes as Montana corrections officials report a temporary facility has already reduced the number of women waiting in local jails for a state prison bed.
Bertram explained investing in community-based resources is not only more humane but also more fiscally responsible than incarceration. She believes the focus on new prison construction misses the point.
"You can invest in health care. You can invest in community services to keep people out of the criminal justice system," Bertram contended. "Even if a state faces budget constraints, putting people in prison is still very expensive compared to quality-of-life needs."
The report serves as a call for states like Montana to examine their justice systems and prioritize investments in housing, substance use treatment and mental health care as alternatives to costly prison expansion.
