Just like in the general population, plenty of people in custody in Montana are choosing not to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Thatâs the case even though jails and prisons hold people in communal living situations, making it easier for the virus to spread, and in general see more chronic health conditions. Jail and prison inmates have higher rates of hypertension, asthma, cervical cancer and hepatitis than the general population, according to a 2009 article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The Montana Department of Corrections is seeing roughly a 50% vaccination refusal rate, according to spokeswoman Alexandria Klapmeier. So far, 1,405 inmates across the stateâs prisons have been fully vaccinated, data provided by the department shows. That includes: