State of Montana Newsroom
DOC continues to monitor heating equipment in extreme temperatures
With temperatures expected to creep up into the single negative digits today and above zero on Tuesday, the Montana Department of Corrections continues to closely monitor functionality of its heating equipment at facilities across the state.
“We’re happy to report we have had no new major heating issues affecting inmates in the past 24 hours and we continue to troubleshoot as problems come up,” said DOC Director Brian Gootkin. “The department established its Incident Command System (ICS) at the beginning of this extreme weather event to monitor and manage any situations that might arise, and that group has been working night and day throughout the weekend.”
Extreme temperatures resulted in a malfunction of one of two boilers at the Work Reentry Center (WRC) at Montana State Prison Friday night. The issue affected 180 out of more than 1,500 inmates at MSP. In addition, the boiler at Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City failed on Saturday night, affecting 110 residents.
In both cases, the boilers were repaired within hours. Inmates were provided with extra blankets and portable heaters were installed in common areas for warmth.
“I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to members of the DOC team who have not only been managing these weather-related emergencies over the past few days, but performing their regular jobs in these conditions,” said Gootkin. “When temperatures become this extreme, it affects everyone in the state. We are fortunate to have our dedicated staff and community partners to help us keep everyone safe and secure.
The DOC anticipates terminating the ICS on Tuesday unless other issues arise.