State of Montana Newsroom
DOC Announces Intention to Expand Capacity at Existing Locations
The Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) today announced its intention to explore options for use of facilities in Miles City and Boulder to increase prison capacity and better serve the needs of its adult female population.
“In recent years, Montana’s correctional capacity has not kept pace with our state’s needs,” DOC Director Eric Strauss said. “Given the historic investment secured by Governor Gianforte and the Montana Legislature, we will be able to leverage our existing infrastructure to more effectively serve those in our care. It will also maintain our commitments to our employees and the communities where these facilities are located.”
In 2025, the legislature passed, and Governor Gianforte signed into law, House Bill 833, establishing The Future of Corrections Fund. The legislature allocated $250 million to the fund to allow the DOC to manage its population and increase capacity.
The department intends to explore options for the use of the 144-bed Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City to potentially house adult females. While the facility has historically been used for juvenile male offenders, the number of juveniles has declined from about 100 to about 30 in the past 12 years.
In Billings, the population at Montana Women’s Prison (MWP) has been holding at or above its capacity of 250, with another 50 adult female inmates at Riverside in Boulder. Today, 66 female inmates are in county jails awaiting transport to the women’s prison in Billings.
“The landscape of corrections is constantly evolving,” Strauss said. “We need to be nimble, and the investment by Governor Gianforte and the Montana Legislature in the department is allowing us to do that. We have a large-scale construction project underway at Montana State Prison to address capacity concerns among our adult male population. The changes we described today will allow us to do the same with our female inmates while maintaining a safe and efficient facility for Montana’s youth offenders.”
In the coming months, the department will work with the Montana Department of Administration’s Architecture and Engineering Division and the Governor’s Office of Budget and Program Planning to develop an analysis and plan for the best and most efficient uses of the Pine Hills and Riverside facilities. MWP will continue operating as a secure facility for adult females.
“Our employees at these facilities are extremely talented and knowledgeable in the management of correctional environments,” Strauss said. “As a department we work together closely to adapt to change and strive toward positive outcomes for the people in our care.”