State lawmakers consider creating additional prison beds

HELENA – Citing an unprecedented increase in the state's prison population, Montana state lawmakers committed to addressing the 500 prison bed shortage during the 2025 legislative session at a corrections meeting Tuesday.

Construction costs per bed were estimated at $216,000.

“We have a situation with our prison population, both male and female, that is basically out of control, and there's not much we can do to stop the crime epidemic, not just in Montana but across the country,” said Rep. John Fitzpatrick, R-Anaconda. “We have to deal with the problem.”

Two additional housing units at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge are expected to cost $128.5 million (in 2025 dollars) and begin operations in 2028. If construction were to wait until 2035, the cost would rise to $202 million, estimates the Department of Administration's Division of Architecture and Engineering.

In addition, the state women's prison in Billings could use 450 to 500 additional beds than it currently has. The cost would be $283 million to $402 million, depending on the size and location of the additional facilities. The Department of Corrections is currently negotiating with Yellowstone County about the possibility of building a joint facility near the current Yellowstone County Jail, said Corrections Director Brian Gootkin.

Gootkin said the state will insist on operating the joint facility.

“We want to be a partner. We don't want to make the same mistakes we've made in the past where they run it, we pay them a per diem and it's never enough, and that's just a really bad situation,” Gootkin said. “What I recommend is that we run it if and when it ever happens, we share the costs, we share the utilities, we share the medical care and things like that, but we provide the staff. We pay for our own operations, they pay for theirs, and that's a true partnership.”

There are not enough beds in the state prison system to accommodate newly arriving inmates. There are currently 474 state inmates housed in county jails, with 178 awaiting transfer to state prison, Gootkin said. The overflow prompted Gootkin to move 200 inmates from Montana to a private prison in Arizona, he said. Part of the problem stemmed from contract negotiations over beds at the Missoula County Detention Center that could not be resolved.

“We couldn't come to an agreement with Missoula County, so I had to take care of 144 beds immediately,” Gootkin said. “So I made that decision.” Lawmakers were not informed of the move in advance, for which Gootkin apologized.

In addition, lawmakers are considering $41 million in infrastructure improvements needed for a current building for low-security inmates at the men's prison. The prison's 50-year-old water system needs to be replaced at a cost of $10 million. The sewer system needs to be replaced at a cost of $16.3 million. Fencing around new prison units is expected to cost $7.7 million.

In 2023, lawmakers allocated $219 million for Montana State Prison facilities, including $156 million to replace low-security housing units. The two additional units discussed Tuesday would increase the prison's low-security housing capacity to 1,250 to 1,300.