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Lawmakers hear $250 million proposal to plan and reserve funds for a new women's prison
Summary
Rep. John Fitzpatrick and Department of Corrections witnesses told the Senate Finance and Claims committee that Montana lacks sufficient beds for female inmates and that House Bill 833 would set aside $250 million for planning, interim conversions and construction of a new women's facility.
Representative John Fitzpatrick opened the first hearing by describing what he called a severe capacity shortage for incarcerated women across Montana and introduced House Bill 833 as a $250 million reserve to fund a new women's prison.
Fitzpatrick said the Billings women's prison is over capacity and that the state typically has between 50 and 80 women held in county jails awaiting placement. HB 833 would create a savings account-style appropriation of $250,000,000 with three construction approaches to be evaluated: state‑built/state‑owned, state‑leased from a private contractor (state operated), or private construction sold to the state and state operated. Fitzpatrick said the plan explicitly does not authorize a privately operated correctional facility.
Eric Strauss, deputy director of the Department of Corrections, gave the committee additional context and numbers. Strauss said the DOC had about 3,200 inmates statewide (including roughly 600 currently placed out of state), and described immediate maneuvers the department could take using money from HB 833: remodeling the Riverside facility in Boulder for roughly $12–13 million to add capacity for about 80–90 women, constructing modular units at Montana State Prison for geriatric/infirm inmates, and allocating $4 million for architectural and engineering design work. Strauss described the geriatric population as an infirm/skilled‑nursing‑level cohort rather than simply elderly inmates and said about 27 individuals currently remain at the Boulder facility for that care.
Committee members pressed witnesses on definitions, siting, and exact bed counts. Strauss reiterated that the department would conduct a siting study and evaluate multiple procurement and construction options before a design or permanent project moved forward.
Representative Fitzpatrick closed by urging the committee to send HB 833 to the Senate floor, saying the bill provides flexibility to address an immediate county jail pressure point while longer‑term plans are developed.
What happens next: The committee heard proponents and closed the hearing; no committee vote occurred during the hearing. If the committee later places HB 833 on executive action, the committee will consider possible amendments tied to siting, fiscal mechanics and timelines.
