CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated the Department of Corrections is working to expand bed capacity at the state prison. It is a Montana legislative committee, HB5, that is researching and will make recommendations for possibly adding more beds.
BUTTE — The Butte Detention Center has more than double the number of inmates it was originally designed to house when the facility was built more than 20 years ago, and it’s making conditions in the facility cramped and potentially dangerous to both inmates and corrections officers.
“It’s tough to work in those conditions, our staff … nobody in the jail is happy,” said Butte Sheriff Ed Lester.
The father of an inmate and one attorney told KXLF inmates are packed three to a cell normally designed for just two people.
“I realize people are in jail for a reason, but they still need to be treated with dignity. You squeeze a bunch of people in one little spot and you think that’s all they're going to do, you create a serious problem,” Dough Heath said in a phone call to KXLF from Alaska.
The sheriff said they’ve had over 140 inmates in the jail that was designed to house 72. He said every available cell and temporary holding cells are being used. The jail is also shorted-handed by six or seven detention officers.
“So we’re having to work minimum staffing during the normal shifts. Sometimes we have to have patrol help us with transports to medical appointments or to court,” Sheriff Lester said.
Despite the cramped conditions, the sheriff says inmates are not being mistreated.
“Our inmates are well cared for. Our staff does a good job of making sure they're healthy, we have medical treatment, we have dental treatment,” said Lester.
Overcrowding is a problem in most jails around the state. The Butte jail has about 20 Department of Corrections inmates who are awaiting room to open up at the Montana State Prison. Butte-Silver Bow gets about $82 dollars a day for each Department of Corrections inmate it's holding. The sheriff said it costs more than $100 a day for each inmate at the jail.
“We feed these inmates three meals a day, we have to provide medical call, dental care, and so it’s not cheap to house inmates,” the sheriff said.
The Montana Legislature's HB 5 Select Committee is researching and will make recommendations for possibly adding more beds to the prison.
Lester said it’s not likely the Butte jail will be expanded.
“I’d like to see more treatment options and house arrests, electronic monitoring, but we’ll always make room for people. If they belong in jail and are a threat to the community, we’re going to put them in jail,” said Lester.
