Montana State Prison, Deer Lodge, MT

Visiting Montana State Prison starts online: create an Okta account, complete the Visitation Application, and wait for approval—which can take up to 90 days. If your phone number, address, or other details change after approval, submit the Visitor Information Update Form before your next visit. SAU D Block in-person visits happen on Fridays and must be scheduled with the Visitation Office at least two weeks ahead. Each incarcerated person gets one visit per week. Visitor limits depend on housing: high side allows up to five visitors, low side up to three, with low-side schedules rotating every four weeks. Physical contact is limited to a brief closed-mouth kiss and an appropriate embrace at the start and end of your visit. Handholding is allowed as long as it's in full view of staff. Arrive early with a photo ID—minors typically need a parent or legal guardian present.

Montana State Prison offers communication through inmate tablets, telephone, and video services. Each inmate gets one free phone call per week; additional calls cost 6 cents per minute. Tablet messaging, media, and extra communication time may carry per-message or per-minute charges. Tablet communication is inmate-initiated—your loved one must send an email invitation first, and you create a GettingOut account only after receiving that invite. GettingOut support can help if you run into issues. Tablet access can be shut off at any time for security reasons without notice, and the facility asks families not to call about tablet availability. Phone and tablet calls may be monitored and recorded. Video visits are also inmate-initiated at docking stations (online scheduling is no longer available), with one free 10-minute video visit per week.

At Montana State Prison, personal letters don't go straight to the facility mailroom as paper. Instead, approved mail is routed through an off-site processing service, scanned, and delivered digitally to the inmate's tablet. To avoid delays or returns, put your full name and return address in the top-left corner of the envelope. Include the inmate's full name and facility ID to help with routing, and follow the facility's addressing instructions and any third-party submission steps. Legal and medical mail uses a separate mailstream—it's not handled through the third-party scanning process, so confidentiality and privileged communication stay protected. If something goes wrong, use the mailroom contact emails provided by the facility.

Sending money to someone at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge? Plan on using mail. The facility accepts only cashier's checks or U.S. Postal Service money orders—personal checks aren't accepted and will be returned. On the payment, include the inmate's full name and DOC number, plus your full name and address as sender. The funds must be received within 20 days of purchase, and the envelope has to be postmarked from the immediate area of your listed residence. Once processed, the money posts to the inmate's account, and mandatory fees are typically deducted first.