The whole check takes a couple of minutes:

1. Open the Sheriff's inmate list and click the newest roster.
2. Look first at the printed date, so you know how current it is.
3. Notice the three sections: County Holds, DOC Holds and Federal Holds.
4. Press Ctrl+F on a computer, or pick "find on page" in a phone browser, then enter the surname.
5. Follow the row across. Booking date, court, age, charges and bond all sit on that one line.

Write the court name and the charges on a scrap of paper. Both come up again when you ask about bail or hearings.

Here are the usual explanations:

• Old roster. The arrest may be newer than the printed date.
• Already free. Bail, a release order or a dismissed charge can end a stay in hours.
• Transferred. They may have gone to a different county, into state prison or to federal custody.
• Name trouble. Check other spellings, a second first name or a former last name.
• Minor. Youth cases run on separate rules, so call and ask.
• Tribal custody. An arrest by tribal or BIA officers may be handled in Lame Deer.

Every Sheriff's Office call goes through dispatch at 406-346-2715, and they can route your question to the jail.

Quite possibly. Treasure County, home to Hysham, runs its 911 calls through dispatch in Forsyth, and its Sheriff's page points readers to the Rosebud inmate and warrant lists. So someone arrested over there may turn up on this roster.

Make a phone call before any long drive:

• Treasure County Sheriff's Office: 307 Rapelje Ave., Hysham, MT 59038, 406-342-5211
• Forsyth jail and dispatch: 406-346-2715

An arrest near a county line can land a person in a neighbor's cells. The reverse happens too: the October 28, 2026 Forsyth roster held one person for a Big Horn County court. Jails to check nearby:

• Custer County Detention Center, 1010 Main Street, Miles City, MT 59301, 406-874-3301
• Big Horn County Detention Center, 121 3rd St W, Hardin, MT 59034, 406-665-9792
• Powder River County jail, under the Sheriff's Office at 119 North Park Avenue, Broadus, MT 59317, 406-436-2333
• Musselshell County Detention Center, 820 Main Street, Roundup, MT 59072, 406-323-1402
• Yellowstone County Detention Facility, 3165 King Avenue East, Billings, MT 59101, 24-hour booking 406-256-6881

Lame Deer serves as capital of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, which covers ground on the county's west side. Arrests there can be tribal cases. These three numbers can tell you who has the person:

• BIA Law Enforcement Center: 406-477-6289
• Northern Cheyenne tribal dispatch: 406-477-6914
• Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court, 25 N Cheyenne Avenue, Lame Deer, MT 59043: 406-477-8340, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays

When a state court has the case, the person should be on the Sheriff's roster in Forsyth.

The Sheriff's roster is all text. It shows names, charges and bond amounts in plain rows. Montana's criminal justice records law lists booking photos among the public records, along with bail records and jail rosters (MCA 44-5-103). If you want a picture, phone the Sheriff's Office at 406-346-2715 and ask how to request one.

Photos of a person in immigration custody go through ICE's public records request page.

At the Forsyth jail, the surest method is checking the roster often and phoning 406-346-2715. Beyond that:

• VINE. This free service alerts you by phone, text or email about adults under Montana corrections supervision for a felony, such as prisoners and parolees. Nobody is signed up automatically. Register on VINELink or at 800-456-3076, day or night.
• Victim notice. Some cases need a quick call to the alleged victim once bail is paid. The list: assault or strangling of a partner, stalking, and violating an order of protection (MCA 46-9-108).

A judge picks the bail when the person first goes to court, usually at the Justice Court in Forsyth, 406-346-2638. The Sheriff's roster prints that bond beside every charge, and a few rows read "no bond."

• For many misdemeanors, the judge works from a statewide suggested schedule.
• Felony amounts are the judge's call.
• A partner or family assault charge means sitting tight for a judge first.
• A warrant from another jurisdiction blocks local bail under a 2025 law.

Phone the jail before you bring any money. Our bail page covers each step, the courts that accept payment and how bondsmen operate.

Each charge is printed on the Sheriff's roster beside the name. For the wording of any statute, enter its number in the free Montana Code Annotated.

Filed cases also appear on two state portals: limited courts for misdemeanors and District Court for felonies. The County Attorney settles the final charges in state cases here. Its mailing address is PO Box 69, Forsyth, MT 59327, and its number is 406-346-2236.

Every defendant hears about the right to counsel from the judge on day one. Short on money? Ask for a state public defender. Felonies, youth matters and any misdemeanor with a jail sentence on the table qualify.

• Miles City office in the state directory: 515 Main St, Miles City, MT 59301, 406-851-7080
• Apply at advopd.mt.gov. Have income papers ready to upload.

Some families hire their own defense attorney. Jail staff can say how a lawyer books a visit.

Two visiting windows are listed by the Sheriff's Office:

• Tuesday evening: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Call 406-346-2715 ahead of time. Confirm the person may have visitors that day, and ask about ID, visit length and anything you hope to bring in. Our visiting guide offers more general advice.

Only a few personal items stay with an inmate, says the Sheriff's Office:

• a wedding ring, band style only
• a religious medallion under 1 inch wide
• no more than 4 photographs, none bigger than 4 by 6 inches

Relatives can drop off one outfit for court. Prescriptions must be shipped by the pharmacy itself. Ask about anything else at 406-346-2715 before you bring it.

Funds on an inmate's books cover snacks, soap and other basics, plus phone time. Before sending or carrying in a dime, call 406-346-2715. Find out the current deposit options, any caps or fees, and the exact name on the account.

Our guide to funding an inmate account covers common methods. The commissary guide shows what an account can purchase.

The jail controls the phone setup. Ring 406-346-2715 to learn how the person can reach you, the price, and if calls get recorded. While you're on the line, ask about tablets, messages or video visits.

Leave talk about the charges for the lawyer. Read our jail calls guide and our guide to inmate email for the usual setups.

Phone the jail at 406-346-2715 first. Ask which address to use, how staff want the envelope labeled, and which extras are allowed, such as pictures or reading material.

Write the inmate's legal name in full and put a return address on the front. Our guide to writing an inmate lists rules most jails share. Cash never belongs in an envelope.

The Sheriff's Office runs the jail, so jail staff are the first stop for any health worry. For sickness, a fresh injury or a needed daily pill, call 406-346-2715 without waiting. Give the medicine name, the dose and the prescriber's number.

Prescriptions can only arrive by mail from the pharmacy. For a true emergency, call 911. If you fear suicide or a mental breakdown, tell the jail that in so many words.

Wallets, keys and clothes taken at booking are boxed up and held for the person's release. To pick something up for them, call 406-346-2715. Ask if a signed release from the inmate is needed and when to stop by 180 S 13th Ave, Forsyth, MT 59327. Photo ID is a must.

A monthly warrant list with bond amounts is posted on the Sheriff's official county page. Entries list a name, the offense, a bond figure and the court behind it. A few were issued by Treasure County's justice court. To ask about one by phone, dial the Sheriff's Office at 406-346-2715. For a Colstrip city case, Colstrip police answer at 406-748-2211. Montana's offender search also flags escapees and probation or parole absconders. Before surrendering at 180 S 13th Ave, Forsyth, MT 59327, get a lawyer's advice. Counsel can also ask the issuing judge for a new hearing date.

Calendars are kept court by court, so call whichever one has the file:

• Justice Court: 406-346-2638
• District Court clerk, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: 406-346-7322
• Forsyth City Court: 406-346-2525
• Colstrip City Court, 12 Cherry St., Colstrip, MT 59323: 406-748-2300

You can also type the person's name into the two free state court portals. Our court guide explains what each hearing is for.

The Forsyth roster has its own Federal Holds section, so a federal prisoner may be kept right there. This region's federal courthouse is in Billings, with this address: James F. Battin Federal Courthouse, 2601 2nd Avenue North, Suite 1200, Billings, MT 59101, 406-247-7000.

1. A detention ruling comes at the opening federal hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Deputy U.S. marshals keep custody up to trial. The Marshals' Montana office answers at 406-200-6004.
3. Find the docket on PACER.
4. A sentenced federal prisoner can be traced in the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator by name or register number.

Expect these steps:

1. Immigration officers send Form I-247A, known as a detainer.
2. Because of it, the jail can hold them for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released. State law has officers honor the detainer, except when the person offers believable papers proving citizenship or legal status (MCA 27-16-801).
3. Next comes a transfer to a site serving ICE's Salt Lake City Field Office, 2975 Decker Lake Drive, Suite 100, West Valley City, UT 84119, 801-736-1200. For this county, ICE's check-in office sits at 2900 4th Avenue, Suite 205, Billings, MT 59101, 406-247-4083.
4. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Enter an A-number, or else the full name as ICE recorded it and the native country. If nothing matches, ring the Salt Lake City office listed above.

A person sentenced to state custody often stays in Forsyth until the Department of Corrections finishes assessing them. The Sheriff's roster places them in its DOC Holds group.

• Check current status and the facility on the Montana offender search. It accepts either a name or a DOC ID.
• For rules on prison visits and letters, open our Montana state prisons guide.
• Ask the state parole board about hearings, 406-846-1404.

Montana's Youth Court Act covers every person under 18. Youth Court handles their charges, and the state's court websites never show those files. When a teen is held, the law sets a 24-hour limit for a probable cause hearing, though weekend days and holidays pause it (MCA 41-5-332).

• Ask the Sheriff's Office where the youth is held: 406-346-2715.
• For court dates, reach Youth Court through the District Court clerk at 406-346-7322.
• Juvenile Probation for the district answers at 406-874-3418.

The court named on the Sheriff's roster gives a clue about which agency filed the case. The county has about 8,253 residents (Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2025). Here is who patrols it:

• Sheriff's Office, Forsyth, 180 S 13th Ave, Forsyth, MT 59327, 406-346-2715. The county's growth plan says the Sheriff provides law enforcement across the whole county. Call this office about any arrest in or near Forsyth.
• Sheriff's Office, Ashland, Hwy 212 MM 62, Ashland, MT 59003, 406-784-2399
• Sheriff's Office, Colstrip, 303 Willow St, Colstrip, MT 59323, 406-748-3385
• Colstrip Police Department, 303 Willow Ave, Colstrip, MT 59323, 406-748-2211, office open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Montana Highway Patrol, 18 Trooper Drive, Boulder, MT 59632, dispatch around the clock at 855-647-3777
• Lame Deer: BIA Law Enforcement Center, 406-477-6289, or tribal dispatch, 406-477-6914
• Treasure County Sheriff's Office, 307 Rapelje Ave., Hysham, MT 59038, 406-342-5211, for arrests just across that county line