BUTTE — An area in the south part of Butte is just one of the proposed locations around the state that the Montana Department of Corrections is considering to build a new women’s prison, and local officials want the public’s input on the proposal.
“Our primary concern is this gets dropped on our laps at the last minute and folks don’t have time to discuss their issues,” said Butte District 5 Commissioner Russell O’Leary.
The fate of a new women’s prison in Butte hangs in the balance—watch our video to learn about local officials' concerns and how you can get involved:
Commissioner O’Leary and District 1 Commissioner John Morgan have requested that the Department of Corrections give more information about the possibility of building a new women’s prison on state-owned property off Basin Creek Road near the former Acadia facility.
“I’ve fielded a lot of questions from folks, emails and phone calls, folks are concerned about it,” said O’Leary.
The Department of Corrections told MTN that no decision has been made on where the $246 million facility will be located.
The state is considering several different sites around Montana.
Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher said locations in Boulder, Billings and the Anaconda area are also being considered.
“The state can make a decision where they want to put the prison if they own the land on that, but I think our constituents and the citizens need to be heard here, whether they would like to see a women’s prison here or not,” said Gallagher.
Commissioner O’Leary needs more information about this project, which could bring 100 new jobs to Butte, before he can decide to support it or not.
“It’s too early to say whether the positives outweigh the negatives," he said. "I’d like to hear the concerns of the citizens before I make a decision kind of where I stand on it."
The public can comment about this issue at the next Butte Council of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m.
