HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock is telling federal officials that Montana does not yet meet the federal standards meant to reduce prison rape, but may within 16 months.
The Democratic governor updated Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a letter last month on Montana’s progress in complying with the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards.
Bullock’s letter was included in a U.S. Department of Justice report released this week.
Bullock says the state has hired a program coordinator and drafted detection and prevention procedures for adult and youth correctional facilities.
The state plans to spend $180,000 to conduct PREA audits of its correctional facilities. The audits, which are a reporting requirement of the 2003 federal law, will begin at Montana’s two youth facilities in September and at adult facilities in August 2016.