MT Community Reentry Coalition

Zoom Meeting, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 @ 3:00pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84916730702?pwd=UM6bxeqdR50eHpByQYJWUZiXCOYXPO.1

Meeting ID: 849 1673 0702

Passcode: 887098

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MCRC 4th Annual Statewide Mini-Conference-

October 30, 2025/10a.m.-4p.m.

Register ASAP at dyoung@montana.edu Space is limited

Billings Double Tree/27 N. 27th Street/Room Skybridge 4

1.888.862..9770/406.252.7400

BILDTHOTEL@HILTON.COM

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​​​Montana Department of Corrections Spring Quarterly Update 2025

https://cor.mt.gov/DOC-Quarterly-Update/Spring-2025-DOC-Quarterly-Update-Newsletter-Layout.pdf

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​​​Other DOC News:

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the new DOC Desistance Coordinator, Jessi Westerhold. Below is her personal introduction and her contact information:

  Jessi is the Desistance Coordinator with the Montana Department of Corrections.  That’s a complex word to describe the department’s efforts to shift from measuring recidivism – correctional system failure – to metrics that generate success within the re-entry population and track progress toward ceasing criminal behavior all together. 

  Jessi has a strong background in program design, implementation, management, and evaluation, policy development, data analysis, and clinical treatment.  When she’s not analyzing business processes, she’s inspiring teams to achieve results through impactful change.  Her superpower is improving efficiency by simplifying complex processes.

  Jessi is charged with improving re-entry outcomes and offender success and is excited to connect with practitioners who work directly with the re-entry population.

Jessi Westerhold

Offender Outcomes Specialist / Desistance Coordinator

Rehabilitation & Programs Division

Cell: 406.533.9131

jessi.westerhold@mt.gov

5 S. Last Chance Gulch | PO Box 201301 | Helena, MT 59620

COR.MT.GOV  

​​​  “How is DOC going to describe and measure post – incarceration outcomes in Montana?

That’s the golden question!  My role will ultimately work on defining exactly that.  I’m tempted to forward some draft work including a logic model and data metrics, however, because the department is still working through those details, it’s a bit premature to share externally. 

The short answer is that the department wants to support and measure many aspects of an individual’s re-entry, to include:

• Basic Needs:  food, housing, safety, physical and mental health, transportation.

• Socioeconomic Status:  education and training, employment skills and experience, income, financial knowledge and skills.

• Integration and Well-Being:  life outlook, identity transformation, prosocial behaviors, executive skills functioning, family support and attachment, peer associations, spiritual support, civic and community involvement, and legal.

  In terms of measurement, desistance looks at progress in each of these areas while also looking at incremental steps towards ceasing criminal behavior.  Desistance will eventually include metrics of deceleration of criminal activity (slowing down the frequency of crime), de-escalation of criminal activity (reduction in seriousness of crime), and ceasing criminal behavior all together.

  It gets quite complicated when discussing measurement, which is where the department will focus much of our efforts.  We know desistance data is not collected easily and will require many data sources.  Perhaps there’s a way for committee members to partner.  Looking forward to those conversations!