On Monday, the Montana Department of Corrections announced it transferred 50 inmates out of the Montana Women’s Prison in Billings to the former Riverside Special Needs Unit in Jefferson County.
That follows the relocation of 25 male inmates with medical needs from that same space to Montana State Prison.
Limited beds in Montana’s jails and prisons have been an ongoing issue for years.
DOC says more than 60 women are waiting in county jails for a space in Women’s Prison, with the majority waiting more than 30 days.
They’re due to move into the prison by the end of May.
According to the news release, lawmakers and leadership earmarked $246 million this most recent legislative session to improve capacity, with the potential to build a new women’s prison.
