Senate panel hears Department of Corrections’ budget request, highlights Heart River women’s facility and MRCC expansion plan

BISMARCK — The Senate Appropriations Committee’s Human Resources Division heard a detailed public discussion on Senate Bill 2015, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation budget, focusing on one‑time and ongoing decision packages that would raise the agency’s request well above its base appropriation.

Committee members and agency leaders spent the morning on program‑level detail and capital projects, including the Heart River Correctional Center women’s facility, repairs and new equipment at youth and adult facilities, requests to convert long‑term temporary staff to authorized FTEs, and planning for a new 600‑bed Missouri River Correctional Center (MRCC) and temporary “man camp” beds while the state addresses capacity shortfalls.

Why it matters: Corrections officials said rising populations and longer average sentences are driving higher operating and medical costs. The committee heard one‑time construction and equipment asks alongside recurring personnel and program restorations; choices this session will affect capacity, staffing and the department’s operating baseline in later biennia.

The department presented its packet and a prioritized list of 51 decision packages. Michelle Zander, identified in the hearing as “Michelle Zander, CFO for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,” said the packet begins with restoration requests that recover one‑time costs removed from the base — including inflationary items the agency says remain ongoing.

Colby Braun, director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, updated senators on the Heart River Correctional Center (HRCC) for women, saying work remains in design and procurement: “we will be breaking ground as soon as it thaws,” Braun said, and the project team expects completion in October 2027. Braun described $30 million that had been set aside by prior intent and an additional roughly $5.6 million in capital construction items the department is asking to restore for mechanical and program needs tied to HRCC.

Juvenile services and day treatment programs drew extended questioning. Lisa Beargard, director of the Division of Juvenile Services, described school‑based day treatment programs that she said the department has “offered ... in schools for about 32 years,” noting they are a collaborative, school‑funded model intended to keep high‑risk youth at home and re‑engaged in school. Beargard and members discussed a decision package to restore funding for day treatment and juvenile community housing that the department said would preserve existing contracts and federal funding levels.

Capacity and temporary beds: The department proposed two short‑term capacity responses while longer planning proceeds. Officials described an $8 million request for temporary man‑camp housing at MRCC (88 beds) and a $23 million request to fund planning and design for a new 600‑bed replacement for MRCC in the 2026–27 biennium. The committee also heard that negotiators are working to lease or convert a Grand Forks facility into roughly 90 state‑operated beds; Colby Braun characterized that option as a near‑term way to reduce out‑of‑state or widely dispersed placements.

Officials warned that population growth after COVID and longer average sentences are straining capacity. The packet showed the department’s actual counts through December 2024 were higher than estimated: for women the department said it was over its forecast by several dozen, and for men by a larger number; witnesses said those variances contributed to the department’s larger request.

Staffing and operating expenditures: The department repeatedly explained a common pattern in its budget: many positions have been funded as temporary (without benefits) in prior biennia and the department is asking to convert a number of those positions to authorized permanent FTEs so staff receive retirement and other benefits. Officials said the executive recommendation would add roughly 74–75 FTEs overall and that parts of the larger dollar increase include one‑time capital asks (for example HRCC and man‑camp construction) and recurring operating costs (staffing, medical, and inflationary increases).

Medical, pharmacy and client management systems: Senators pressed agency leaders on medication and medical costs and how the department will track outcomes. Officials said the central pharmacy fills thousands of prescriptions monthly and that the department is seeking a new client management system to reduce manual reconciliation across multiple legacy systems. The committee was told that staff and case managers are working with Health and Human Services and community providers to enroll eligible individuals on discharge into Medicaid/expansion programs to help continuity of care.

Safety equipment and technology: The committee heard requests for body cameras, ballistic vests and a millimeter‑wave body scanner for screening at an intake facility. Department physical plant staff said older steam and plant systems complicate reuse between adjoining facilities; for HRCC the design team chose on‑site hot‑water heating rather than relying on the existing YCC steam plant. Chris Jangula, the department’s chief physical plant officer, said earlier plans to use the YCC heating plant for HRCC were rejected because of piping distance, inefficiency and long‑term maintenance concerns.

Industries, reentry and Roughrider Industries: Roughrider Industries director Rick Gardner described revenue and capital needs for prison industries, including an $810,000 raw‑materials request and a larger equipment ask (a $3 million paint line and other equipment). Gardner highlighted industry outcomes, citing a substantially lower recidivism rate for participants and urging procurement rules that would give state agencies or state employees greater access to purchase Roughrider products.

Next steps: Committee members closed the public discussion and agreed to reconvene and conduct a site visit to the penitentiary (the department asked members to bring photo ID and suggested an 8:00–8:15 a.m. arrival). The committee chair scheduled follow‑up hearings and indicated staff will return with details on Grand Forks negotiations before crossover. No formal votes were taken during the morning session.

Ending: The hearing continued to other agenda items during the afternoon; committee members signaled heightened interest in reconciling one‑time versus ongoing restorations, how temporary staffing converts to authorized FTEs, and how capital planning (HRCC and MRCC) will reduce pressure on county jails and out‑of‑state placements if funded.