The plan for expanding Yellowstone County’s Jail was among the most closely watched items on the ballot in Montana’s most populous county. As of Wednesday morning, voters were saying “no” to both funding expansion work, as well as paying for its operations by very comfortable margins.
“We are disappointed that these measures did not pass last evening” said a statement from Safe and Secure Yellowstone County. It went on to describe the current facility as “grossly undersized,” with law enforcement “vastly under-resourced for the task at hand.”
Campaign Co-Chairs Bill Cole and Hannah Tagliaferro said “what happens next is unknown, but likely will involve some difficult choices on the part of the county,” which could include budget cuts.
Full statement: “As Yellowstone County grows, so does crime. The 40-year-old county detention facility is grossly undersized, and our partners in law enforcement and the criminal justice system are vastly under-resourced for the task at hand. This problem will not go away – and in fact, the solution to jail overcrowding now likely gets even more costly.
We are disappointed that these measures did not pass last evening. But we appreciate the many citizens who stepped forward to voice their support for public safety in Yellowstone County, including those in the prevention and treatment community who understand that expanding the jail would provide them with the space they currently lack to help people and make our community safer. As a campaign, we helped to inform tens of thousands of our fellow citizens, and for that, we need to thank the numerous donors who generously provided us with the resources to make this such a robust effort. We raised awareness of the jail overcrowding issue in this county by laying out the plain facts and the truth of the situation.
What happens next is unknown, but likely will involve some difficult choices on the part of the county. This could include further cuts in budgets to fund public safety; limiting the number of inmates, which would result in more dangerous criminals on our streets; or potentially refusing to hold state prisoners. Worst of all is the threat of litigation that could force 250 or more inmates onto our streets overnight. This is not hyperbole; this is history repeating itself.
We, as private citizens, still recognize the need to deal with the challenge of jail overcrowding. Should there be another attempt to place a solution on the ballot, we stand ready to help get it over the finish line.”
