Boiler at DOC's Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City malfunctions, repaired

• Carolynn Stocker
• January 16 2024

The Montana Department of Corrections responded to a boiler outage at Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City Saturday night.

“We were able to get maintenance and an HVAC technician on scene quickly to assess the problem and replace a faulty seal in the system,” said DOC Director Brian Gootkin. “This morning, the boiler is functioning as it should and temperatures in the units are comfortable.”

PHCF houses about 30 juveniles and 80 adult offenders. Temperatures in the units early Sunday morning varied, with the coldest unit measuring at about 60 degrees. Staff members reported the majority of residents had already gone to bed for the night when the outage occurred and were unaffected by the situation.

Extra blankets were provided to the residents and portable heaters were placed in the common areas.

“On a weekend when everyone would just prefer to be hunkered down at home, staying warm, the DOC has received amazing response from its employees, other state agencies, and our partners in Montana communities,” Gootkin said. “I’d like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who gave us a hand.” 

Businesses that responded included Steadman's Ace Hardware, Custer County Fire and Emergency Operations, S&W Heating and Air Conditioning, and Bar 7 Rentals (Glendive).

Saturday’s boiler outage was the second of its kind at a DOC facility since extreme weather moved into the state this week.

On Friday, one of two boilers at the Work Reentry Center at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge malfunctioned. The issue was repaired, and the heating system is operating normally.