In front of a backdrop of heavy machinery and low-security cell blocks, the governor and prison officials ceremonially broke ground on a new inmate housing project in Deer Lodge.
"It's time to grab the shovels and fling some dirt," Gianforte told the group.
The housing units are part of more than $200 million in projects approved by lawmakers in 2023 to modernize prison facilities and expand capacity. Officials said the project would add over a hundred new beds at the prison.
Gianforte said prison overcrowding is an issue political leaders have overlooked for too long. He says it’s created backlogs in local jails and led the state to spend millions of dollars sending hundreds of inmates to private prisons in other states.
"After decades of previous administrations applying band-aids and just literally kicking the can down the road, we knew it was long overdue to upgrade these facilities," he said.
The Legislature and Gianforte are considering spending another $400 million to expand the state’s prison capacity. Lawmakers have already approved funding for a new women’s prison. Lawmakers are still debating funding for another expansion of the men’s prison.
