“This situation would compound itself and lead to more inmates in secure care, and more offenders in county jails awaiting placements, which has a significant detrimental effect on DOC’s budget,” the proposal says.

The 2017 Legislature approved six new full-time employees to write pre-sentence investigation reports and established a new law requiring completion in 30 days. Corrections could not afford the hires putting the department in violation of the new state law. In addition, the department would maintain its backlog of reports, delaying cases and keeping offenders in county jails longer.

The cuts also eliminate more than $550,000 supporting parolees transitioning into the community, meaning longer stays in secure facilities.

Contracts with pre-release centers would drop by 5 percent, which could force the centers to take fewer inmates to minimize costs. Offenders would spend more time in county jails waiting for an opening.

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Litigation and safety concerns

Rep. Kim Dudik, D-Missoula, who worked to pass a package of criminal justice reform bills last session, said the cuts make the state vulnerable to a lawsuit and could reverse the progress legislators made over the past several years.