Visiting someone incarcerated at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison in Billings, Montana means working within the visitation rules set by the Montana Department of Corrections. State prison systems are larger and more bureaucratic than county jails, and visiting procedures, including application forms, approval timelines, and scheduling portals, are standardized across the state's DOC facilities. Before your first visit to MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison, confirm the current process and your approval status by calling 406-247-5100.
Every state DOC requires visitors to submit a written application before being added to an inmate's approved visitor list. The application typically asks for your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, relationship to the inmate, and your criminal history if any. The DOC runs a background check, and approval can take anywhere from two weeks to a couple of months depending on the state. Prior felony convictions, active warrants, or a recent release from custody yourself can result in denial. You'll receive written notice of approval or denial by mail.
State prisons schedule visits by housing unit, custody level, and day of week. Many state DOCs now require advance scheduling through an online portal such as GTL/ViaPath GettingOut, Securus Visitation, or a state-run system, with visits booked days or weeks ahead. Walk-up visits without an appointment are rare in modern state corrections. Visiting days at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison may differ for general population, restricted housing, and protective custody inmates. Call 406-247-5100 for the current schedule and to confirm whether the inmate's current status allows visits.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Most state DOCs require it to be unexpired and match the name on your approved visitor application. Dress code at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison is enforced at the entry point: no clothing matching inmate uniforms (colors vary by state; often blue, white, gray, or orange), no revealing attire, no underwire bras in some facilities (they set off metal detectors), no hats, no jackets in the visiting room. Phones, bags, and electronics stay in your vehicle or in lobby lockers. Searches of visitors are routine; refusing a search ends the visit.
Visits at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison depend on the inmate's classification. Minimum and medium custody inmates generally receive contact visits in a common visiting room. Maximum custody, administrative segregation, and protective custody inmates may be restricted to non-contact visits through glass or limited to fewer hours per month. Inmates in disciplinary status can have visits suspended entirely. If the inmate has been transferred recently, has a pending classification change, or is in restricted housing, call 406-247-5100 to verify what type of visit is currently allowed.
Most state DOCs now offer video visitation as a supplement to or replacement for some in-person visits. Video visits at state facilities are typically handled through GTL/ViaPath, Securus, or HomeWAV and require setting up a paid account, scheduling in advance, and connecting from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Some states have made video the primary or only visitation option at certain facilities. For information on inmate phone discount plans and money transfer options that work alongside video visitation, see InmateAid's inmate services and call 406-247-5100 to confirm what's offered at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison.
To start the visitor application process or check current visiting hours at MT DOC - Montana Women's Prison, call 406-247-5100.
Before traveling to the Montana Women’s Prison, please call (406) 247-5118 for any changes to the visiting schedule.
Visitors are required to check in 30 minutes before the scheduled visiting time.
MWP asks visitors from the local area to visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays if possible, to allow time for out-of-town visitors who can travel to Billings only on weekends. When the maximum capacity of the visiting room (44 people) is reached, out-of-town visitors are given priority over local visitors.
Normal visiting hours at Montana Women's Prison:
** Kids’ Day – Every third Saturday of the month is Kids’ Day. This is only for children who have been approved and scheduled through the prison’s Parenting Program; no drop-ins are allowed.
Family and friends who wish to visit an inmate must first complete a Visitation Questionnaire and be added to the inmate’s approved visitor list.
Visitor searches – All visitors entering the facility are subject to search via a walk-through or hand-held metal detector, drug detection dogs and, when appropriate, pat-down searches.
Prohibited items – Visitors may not bring:
Contraband will be confiscated, local law enforcement may be called, and the visit may be denied. See MWP Prohibited Items for a more detailed list.
Allowed items – Most personal items must be left outside the facility. See the MWP Visitor Information pamphlet for a list of allowed items.
Photo ID required – All visitors over the age of 16 must bring a photo ID.
In addition to the required photo identification, visitors may bring the following into the prison:
Visitors with small children may also bring one diaper bag containing the following items (secured in the visiting foyer):
Appropriate clothing must be worn throughout a visit. Visitors are expected to be well-groomed. All visitors must stay appropriately dressed throughout the visit; this includes wearing footwear at all times. Violations of the dress code are cause for ending the visit.
Coats, shawls, ponchos, down-filled vests, jackets, headscarves, hats and caps are checked in and kept on a coat rack in the visiting foyer.
The following clothing is not allowed:
Visitors and offenders are permitted a brief front-to-front embrace, including a brief facial kiss at the beginning and at the end of a visit. They may hold hands during the visit. All other forms of physical contact are prohibited and are cause for ending a visit. PETTING and FONDLING are prohibited, and hands must be kept in view of the Visiting Room Officer at all times.
Children 10 and under may sit on the offender's lap during visiting. The offender and visitor are responsible for supervising the behavior of children during the visit. If after being warned, they fail to control a child's behavior, the visit will be ended.
Separate bathroom facilities are designated for offenders and visitors. Visitors must accompany children 10 and under to the restroom. With the exception of using the restroom, if visitors leave the visiting area, the visit has ended. Visitors may not return to the same visiting session.
No items may be directly exchanged between offenders and visitors – Visitors are provided a pamphlet (LINK) that explains in more detail the dos and don'ts, and other rules governing visitation.
How to take hobby items or other property out of the prison – Hobby items and property may be sent out with an approved visitor if the offender has an approved kite that was given to the Visiting Officer prior to visiting. At the end of the visit, the Visiting Officer gives the property to the visitor, and officer and visitor both sign and date the kite.
Visits of otherwise unapproved visitors, extended visits, or visits on non-visiting days may be approved by the Visiting Officer on a case-by-case basis.
Legal visits – Attorneys need to call 24 hours in advance and are expected to arrive on time or the visit may be denied due to institutional time constraints. Attorneys must present proper credentials, including photo identification. They are subject to search and all other Department of Corrections institutional rules and regulations.
Attorney visits are scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Officers may watch but may not listen to conversations between offenders and attorneys. Attorneys and offenders may exchange written material that has previously been searched, without being read. A non-contact booth is available to assure confidentiality.
Hospitalized offenders – Hospitalized offenders are not generally allowed visitors or phone calls. Exceptions (i.e. long-term or critically ill offenders) must be approved by the Deputy Warden of Security on a case-by-case basis.
Special housing cases – Offenders in maximum and administrative segregation may be allowed one visit a week, in the non-contact booth, if approved by the Visitation Supervisor or Deputy Warden of Security.