Complete a Free Montana Parole Search (Lookup Resource)

Run a free Montana parole search to quickly verify an offender’s criminal past and get a glimpse into their current whereabouts and status.

Parole grants an early release to prisoners into the community where they’ll complete the rest of their sentences; probation is the release of a convicted offender into the community under court-imposed conditions instead of jail time.

This information is part of the public record as mandated by Montana’s Criminal Justice Information Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). These records are found at the state level, but interested persons can find them in local agencies at little to no cost.

This resource provides tools and insights to aid patrons in searching for parole data in Montana efficiently and effectively.

How To Perform a Montana Parole Search for Free

Citizens have several public agencies they can turn to find parole information on offenders—these include state agencies such as the Montana Department of Corrections and the Board of Pardons & Parole.

Parole is the conditional emancipation or release of an inmate into the community under supervision to allow them to complete the rest of their prison term—these conditions are subject to conditions set forth by the Montana Board of Pardons & Parole.¹

Interested persons can run a parole look up through the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC).² The DOC has a database of its inmates and those that are serving their sentences out under community supervision; this is accessed using the Montana Parole Lookup Tool, which is free for public use.

When searching for inmates, the results displayed will show their status, whether they are in parole, probation, or the facility they are in. Information on the offender includes physical descriptors, conviction record, and mugshot (photograph).

For questions and more information on running a parole search, call the Montana DOC at 406.444.3930 or email [email protected]. Interested persons can also mail or visit the Montana DOC:

Montana Department of Corrections
Five South. Last Chance Gulch St.
Post Office. Box 201301 
Helena, Montana 59620-1301

Interested parties and victims who need information on parolees can contact the Montana Board of Pardons & Parolees. They may receive offender notifications or even search through VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) which is recommended by the Board—users can obtain custody status and criminal data through this portal for free.

Alternatively, contact the Montana Board of Pardons & Parolees, call 406.846.1404 or email [email protected].⁵ Patrons may also mail or visit the Board at the address below:

Montana Board of Pardons & Parole
1002 Hollenbeck Road 
Deer Lodge, Montana 59722

Look Up Parole Violators & Absconders in Montana

Parole is a privilege and not a right; offenders are expected to adhere to the conditions set by the Board such as reporting to their officers—if they fail to do this, they become absconders—citizens will need to contact either the Department of Corrections or the Montana Board of Pardons & Parolees to find violators.

There is no formal database or list that is maintained by either public agency that shows absconders of parole violations.

Once interested persons have ascertained that an offender has been placed on parole through the DOC Parolee Search Tool, they may contact the Montana Department of Corrections to verify if the individual still maintains a good standing.⁶

Montana Department of Corrections
Five South. Last Chance Gulch St.
Post Office. Box 201301
Helena, Montana 59620-1301

Phone: 406.444.3930
Email: [email protected]

Alternatively, they may get in touch with the Montana Board of Pardons & Parolees to check the status of a parolee and find out if they have absconded. They may also call 406.846.1404 or email [email protected] to find information on Montana parolees and may visit the Board at the address outlined earlier.

How To Track Down Information on Inmates in a Montana State Prison

The Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) is the state agency that is responsible for the housing of state prisoners in its state owned and contracted facilities —it would therefore be the point of contact to look up inmates in the state’s prison system.⁷

Montana DOC has a database of its offenders which the public can search for free through an Offender Search Tool. Users can find offenders using either their DOC ID number or first and last names. Information displayed includes a mugshot or photograph of the offender, their convicted crimes and their status, such as the location they are held in or whether or not they are on parole.

Members of the public can visit, communicate with and send money to inmates in Montana State Prisons. Inmates at DOC facilities are all provided with tablets which they can use to send messages, call and commence video visitations. Communication to family and friends is initiated by the inmates sending email invitations, upon which the recipient will create a GettingOut account.

Inmates can make calls from these tablets or wall mounted units and they receive one free phone call per week; anything after that incurs a 10 cents per minute charge. They are also allowed a free 10 minute video call weekly; anything above this timeframe is charged at 25 cents per minute.

Approved visitors may send and receive mail from inmates. They may also have books delivered directly from the vendor to the inmate. Both inmates and those on the outside must follow these mail policies.

It is also possible for friends and family to visit inmates at Montana prisons; they must be approved by the facility where the offender is held.⁹ They do so by completing and submitting a Visitor Application Form which is approved 45-90 days after receipt. Different rules and regulations apply to each facility and visitors must adhere to a dress code.

See this visitation brochure for more information.

Approved individuals may send money to inmates if they are on an approved visiting list; they include immediate family, their attorney and one approved non-family member (restricted). Deposits are made online through an Inmate Trust Account Deposit and transactions cannot exceed $250.00.

Users can obtain more information about utilizing the system here. Deposits may also be mailed in through a cashier’s check or United States Postal Service (USPS) money order.

How To Contact Parole Officers & Check Hearing Dates

Interested persons who need to find the parole officer for an offender can get in touch with the Montana Department of Corrections. The DOC has close to 11,000 offenders under their supervision and they are under the jurisdiction of the Probation & Parole Bureau.

This previous link provides the contact information and addresses of offices that serve the different regions in the state. Contact the respective number that has jurisdiction of the offender when running a parole lookup. Patrons may obtain the offenders’ DOC ID number from the Parole Lookup Tool which they can search for using their names.

Generally, parole offices are not associated with offenders; however, the public can make a report on a parolee particularly if it is in regard to upholding community safety. Contact the Montana Board of Pardons & Parole for any other questions and inquiries.

The Montana Board of Pardons & Parole provides a hearing calendar on upcoming parole hearings locations—this is free for the public to access. Users can also find a hearing list that lists out offenders and their scheduled hearing for the month. They may also find administrative reviews for the month for individual offenders.

How To Determine Who Is on Probation in Montana for Free

Probation in the state is under the jurisdiction of the United States Probation and Pretrial Services – District of Montana and the Department of Corrections. In Montana, probation unlike parole is the release of a convicted offender by the court into the community under imposed conditions in lieu of serving jail time.¹¹

Offenders on parole have spent time in prison, while those on probation have not served any prison or jail terms and typically, lesser crimes are eligible for probation.

To find out who is on probation at the state level, patrons may get in touch with the Montana Department of Corrections Probation & Parole Bureau who oversees offenders released into the community by the courts. The link provides contact information to the seven regions that serve Montana.

They may also search for offenders on probation in the Montana DOC database of offenders. This Montana Probation Lookup Tool is free and shows the status of an offender which includes whether or not they are under community supervision.

Additionally, interested persons may contact the U.S Probation & Pretrial Services – District of Montana.¹² The link provides contact numbers for the office locations that serve the major cities in the state. The U.S. Probation Office will only release information that is available to the public which is in custody of the U.S. District Court Clerk.

Counties may also provide a point of contact to allow citizens to ascertain the probation status of offenders. As an example, interested persons can contact the Park County Adult Probation & Parole Department who are under the jurisdiction of the Montana DOC.

Residents of cities can use this State of Montana Directory that will provide contact information for probation offices that are in different cities throughout the state.

This resource places helpful aggregate links and search tools at the disposal of citizens who are running a Montana parole search to efficiently find what they are looking at little to no cost.