State of Montana Newsroom
DOC Secure Facilities Ready to Reopen for Visitors, Volunteers
After being closed for more than a year due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitation at Montana Department of Corrections’ secure facilities is scheduled to resume later this month.
Montana Women’s Prison (MWP) will open its doors to visitors beginning April 24; Montana State Prison (MSP) will start accepting visitors April 29; and Pine Hills Correctional Facility (PHCF) will resume visitation for youth offenders on April 29 and adult offenders on Thursday, May 6.
“We are thrilled that we can reopen visitation for the inmates in our secure facilities,” Director Brian Gootkin said. “COVID-19 has thrown many challenges at our facilities and staff, and I’m so proud of the work they have done to keep each other and our inmates safe. Now, it’s time to reunite families with their loved ones.”
According to Gootkin, the department relied on its medical staff, who consult with federal, state, and local health officials, to work with facility administrators to develop a plan to reopen visitation that would best ensure the health of the public, DOC staff, and offenders.
The following COVID-19 precautions will be in place for visiting at DOC secure facilities:
Visitors will be screened upon entry into the facility according to the COVID-19 screening checklist.
Inmates will also be screened according to the checklist.
Visits will not occur if the inmate or visitor have any of the following symptoms:
- A temperature of 100.4 F or higher
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- New onset of headache, especially with a fever
Masks are required for inmates and visitors (five years of age and older).
No food or drink allowed/no vending machines.
For specific information on visiting hours and days at each facility, visit the DOC’s website at https://cor.mt.gov/ and click on “Friends and Family.”