Establish work time credit for probationers and parolees
Summary
SB 217 creates a new “work time credit” program for people on probation or parole in Montana. Under the bill, a supervising probation and parole officer may recommend reducing a person’s supervision period by one day for every 40-hour workweek of eligible employment, so long as the person is complying with all court or board conditions and is current on restitution and supervisory fee payments. The bill requires the probationer or parolee to submit supporting employment documentation after 30 days of eligible work, and it authorizes officers to verify employment through records, site visits, phone calls, or other means they deem necessary.
The bill also sets mandatory revocation rules for any work time credit already awarded. Credit must be revoked if the person violates a supervision condition, is charged with a new felony, or is charged with a new misdemeanor that could carry more than six months of incarceration. The program does not apply to people under lifetime supervision, registered sexual or violent offenders, or youth court proceedings. The bill defines eligible employment and acceptable documentation, and it is to be codified within Montana’s probation and parole statutes in Title 46.
Impact
SB 217 amends Montana’s probation and parole laws by adding a new mechanism for shortening supervision terms based on verified employment and compliance. It affects district courts, the Board of Pardons and Parole, probation and parole officers, and supervised individuals by creating a structured incentive for steady work while preserving officer discretion to verify employment and deny or revoke credit. The bill also ties eligibility to restitution and supervision-fee compliance, reinforcing existing financial obligations during supervision.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support in both chambers. It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously, cleared Senate floor votes with only a small number of dissenting votes, and then passed the House Judiciary and Appropriations committees unanimously before receiving overwhelming concurrence on the House floor. The voting pattern suggests the measure was viewed favorably as a practical supervision and reentry policy rather than a controversial criminal justice overhaul.
Contention
There is little evidence of major opposition in the available record, but the bill’s main policy tension is between rewarding employment and maintaining public safety and supervision accountability. The revocation provisions reflect concern that earned credit should be lost if a person reoffends or violates conditions, and the exclusions for lifetime supervision, sexual or violent offenders, and youth court cases show an effort to limit the program to lower-risk supervised populations. Any debate likely centered on how much discretion officers should have in verifying employment and whether work-based reductions should apply only when restitution and fees are current.
Amends and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding advisement to certain probationers and parolees regarding conditions of probation or parole.
Allows a law enforcement officer to arrest a parolee or probationer without a warrant in certain circumstances and requires conditions and terms of probation or parole to be recorded in MULES
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