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Officials Say Pretrial Subsidy Program Has Saved Yellowstone County $2M

The county is subsidizing the cost of pretrial monitoring

By Associated Press

BILLINGS — A southern Montana county is subsidizing the cost of pretrial monitoring — an effort that officials say has saved the county more than $2 million by reducing its jail population.

The Billings Gazette reports Yellowstone County has spent about $300,000 helping defendants pay for their court ordered location, drug and alcohol monitoring since 2015.

Under the subsidy program, the county pays up to $9 a day for 35 defendants who qualify for pretrial release. Defendants in the program often pay just a $1 per day depending on the type of monitoring.

The county spends nearly a $100 per person to jail someone for a day.

All counties in the state will take steps to reduce jail populations next year after a new law is enacted that calls for more diversion.