3 Towns Narrowed Down To Be The New Montana Women’s Prison Home

Montana Faces Challenges Finding Space for Women’s Prisons

Montana is huge, but even with all that space, it is possible to run out of room.

Right now, that’s exactly the conversation in Helena about finding room for women’s prison.

Current Capacity for Women in Montana Prison

What started out as a list of 10 possible locations across the state has been narrowed down to just three communities that will get a closer look for a new women’s facility.

Right now, Montana has about 300 beds for women, mostly at the main facility in Billings, with a smaller unit in Boulder.

That’s been far from enough for a while, which is why lawmakers approved $246 million in funding last year to find a solution.

Deer Lodge, Boulder, Or Miles City.

The reason these three towns are at the top of the list for the Department of Corrections, comes down to practicality.

Each already has either a correctional facility or state-owned land, which would make it cheaper and faster to get a new facility up and running than starting from scratch.

It also helps avoid putting too much strain on Montana taxpayers.

Timeline And Planning For The New Facility

The DOC hopes to have their location report done by March, after which the planning stage will begin. Officials would meet with community leaders, planners, engineers, and designers to see if a location is even feasible and whether it can be properly staffed.

No matter which town ends up being chosen, this will be a major project that the whole state will be watching closely.

Source: KTVH