EVERGREEN - The new prelease center coming to Flathead County is set to open next month.
Montana Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Alex Klapmeier tells MTN News the 90-bed facility in Evergreen is set to open during the last week of October.
A prerelease center is a residential facility that helps people transition from incarceration to community living.
Renovations are currently underway and include adding and upgrading security measures and removing and adding facility-appropriate furniture.
Jim Sanderson has been hired as the new Prerelease Operations Manager at the Flathead Valley Prerelease Center.
The DOC is currently hiring employees for the prerelease center and jobs are posted on the State of Montana careers website.
Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin said in a statement to MTN:
“We can’t wait to open our first DOC-run prerelease center in the Flathead Valley this fall to serve northwest Montana. With this prerelease center, DOC offenders from this area can return to their home community to reunite with their families and secure employment as they work to reintegrate following incarceration. Jim is going to be a great asset to our DOC team, and we look forward to bringing more employees on board to do this important work.”
The prerelease center's opening has been a hot-button issue in the Flathead.
The Flathead County Board of Adjustment agreed in April to settle with the Montana Department of Corrections over a lawsuit that was filed after the board initially rejected the prerelease center last October.
