Policy Win Recap!

Ombudsman Bill passed through the Law & Justice Committee!

At its September 1st meeting, the Law and Justice Interim Committee voted (5-4) to pass the Corrections Ombudsman proposal! Thirteen people testified in support of the bill, both in person and online. There’s still a long way to go before it's passed into law, but this is a win worth celebrating!

Amanda and the 406Revolutionized community spearheaded this Ombudsman proposal with support from Catalyst MT. Your voices of support and stories in public comments moved lawmakers. Every person who showed up and shared their story helped move the needle. This effort embodies grassroots organizing and demonstrates the collective power we hold when we connect and collaborate. 

Folks who were at the Law & Justice meeting in support of the Ombudsman bill.

Since the Corrections Ombudsman bill passed through committee, it will be introduced as a committee bill, strengthening its prospects of becoming law by signaling existing support. The 2027 legislative session is right around the corner, so we've included a timeline of what to expect below.

What is an Ombudsman?

An Ombudsman is an independent office that investigates, reports on, and helps resolve complaints between individuals and government agencies. Montana already has an Ombudsman office to oversee both CPS and Nursing Care/Long-term homes. This bill would create a Corrections Ombudsman that operates outside the Department of Corrections (DOC) to increase transparency and accountability.

5-4 Vote Breakdown

We encourage people to connect with members of the Law and Justice Interim Committee and send a message thanking them or respectfully expressing disappointment with their vote. This is a good way to build relationships with lawmakers and share constituent feedback. We provided an example message, but we suggest adding a personal touch!

• VOTED YES

  • Rep. Braxton Mitchell: Braxton.Mitchell@legmt.gov

  • Sen. Vince Ricci: Vince.Ricci@legmt.gov

  • Sen. Shane Morigeau: Shane.Morigeau@legmt.gov

  • Rep. Zooey Zephyr: Zooey.Zephyr@legmt.gov

  • Rep. Katie Fire Thunder: Katie.FireThunder@legmt.gov

  Here’s an example message, but personalize it!

  Dear Senator/Representative ___, thank you for voting yes on the independent corrections ombudsman proposal. Independent oversight is important to families, incarcerated people, correctional employees, and Montana taxpayers. I appreciate your support and hope you will continue supporting this legislation as it moves forward.

• VOTED NO

  • Sen. Barry Usher: Barry.Usher@legmt.gov

  • Rep. Steven Kelly: Steven.Kelly@legmt.gov

  • Rep. Amy Regier: Amy.Regier@legmt.gov

  • Sen. Sue Vinton: Sue.Vinton@legmt.gov

  Here’s an example message, but personalize it!

  Dear Senator/Representative ___, I am writing to respectfully express my disappointment with your vote against the independent corrections ombudsman proposal. There appeared to be bipartisan agreement that independent oversight is needed, even if certain details require further work. I hope you will work with your colleagues to strengthen this legislation and support it during the next legislative session.

Expected timeline of the Corrections Ombudsman in Montana’s 2027 legislative session.

Support at the Capitol

Community Lunches

During the lunch breaks of both the Law & Justice and Criminal Justice Oversight Council meetings, Catalyst MT reserved a room and provided lunch. The Capitol can feel intimidating, and having a place to gather and connect makes all the difference! We are extremely grateful to the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE) for welcoming us into their office and giving us a place to convene. Together, we shared what brought each of us to care about criminal legal advocacy and what issues people were passionate about. Several lawmakers (and lawmakers-elect!) joined us to hear about the issues affecting everyday Montanans.

We were also pleased to have the Sentencing Project’s Nicole Porter come all the way from D.C. to share her insights on national trends. Nicole is the Director of Advocacy and brings deep knowledge of issues affecting the criminal legal system, along with ideas from across the country. The different perspectives in the room made for great conversation and highlighted our capacity for collective power-building!

These lunches were incredibly moving and fruitful for future organizing.

We plan to do this again, so stay tuned!

Testimony Scholarship Program

In the final months of the interim session, Catalyst MT introduced a new program with the goal of reducing barriers for people to come to Helena and engage with the legislature in person. Aligned with our mission, our testimony scholarship applications help reduce the practical and logistically barriers by providing people with some financial assistance. Through the application, people can also request help writing their testimony and in-person support at the Capitol.

At the Law and Justice meeting, we supported several people in coming to Helena to give testimony in support of the Ombudsman bill. Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents with lived experience, and we want to help make that happen!

Upcoming Q&A Session:

Monday, September 21st, 5- 6 p.m

We’ll connect for the first time since this exciting win and debrief what was shared at the final interim committee meetings. Sign up to get the Zoom link!