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Law‑enforcement and mental‑health advocates push for new eastern Montana forensic facility; questions remain on size and cost
Summary
Representative Kelly's House Bill 912 directs construction of a minimum 70‑bed forensic facility east of Big Timber with an appropriation of $60 million drawn from an identified state account. County attorneys, sheriffs and jail commanders testified that long waits for beds at Galen and transports to state hospitals create jail backlogs and speedy‑trial problems; witnesses debated whether 70 beds will be enough and flagged fiscal and allocation details for implementation.
Representative Kelly opened the House Health and Human Services hearing on House Bill 912, which would direct development of a forensic facility in the eastern half of Montana (east of the North‑South line at Big Timber) with a minimum of 70 beds and an appropriation of $60,000,000 from an identified state account.
Multiple law‑enforcement and criminal‑justice witnesses described severe local backlogs for court‑ordered forensic evaluations, restoration of competency and transport burdens to the state hospital at Warm Springs or Galen. Matt Jennings (Missoula County attorney) and county jail commanders described correlations between deinstitutionalization and rising jail populations, and cited long local waits: "Some of these people wait a year for a bed at Galen," Jennings told the committee.
Flathead and other county jails said they routinely hold people for months while they await an evaluation or bed. Jennifer Root, a Flathead County detention commander, said she currently had 10 individuals waiting to go to the state hospital and described cases where people had been in local custody since mid‑2023 while awaiting placement. Sheriffs and prosecutors noted transport distances can be multiple‑hundred‑mile round trips that remove deputies from local coverage.
Proponents argued the $60 million request is not new money 'out of thin air' but drawn from an existing fund with roughly $75 million available for such projects; the architecture and engineering division (D of A) said it was not yet familiar with how the $60 million was calculated and expected fiscal‑note work to clarify costs. Dr. Kevin Flanagan, CEO of Montana State Hospital, explained throughput dynamics: short court‑ordered evaluations turnover quickly (allowing multiple patients per bed per year), whereas GBMI or long‑term forensic patients can occupy beds for nine months to two years, which reduces available turnover capacity.
Committee members asked whether 70 beds would be sufficient. Proponents and department witnesses said allocation and prioritization of bed types (court‑ordered evaluations versus long‑term placements) would determine operational impact. Senator Lens indicated an amendment to specify "at least 70 beds" could address future capacity needs. Representative Kelly closed by urging prompt action, warning of dismissed cases and public safety consequences if backlogs persist.
The committee closed the hearing without a recorded vote; several members requested further fiscal and operational details before executive action.
