Montana is abandoning plans to construct a new women’s prison and instead will expand capacity at existing facilities in Miles City and Boulder to address overcrowding at the Billings location.

The Montana Women’s Prison in Billings is operating at capacity, with 66 women currently held in county jails waiting for transfer to the state facility. The bottleneck has prompted state officials to pursue a more economical approach using existing infrastructure rather than building new structures.

Expansion Strategy

Under the revised plan, the state will convert buildings at existing sites to house additional inmates. Miles City will absorb adult women currently held in county facilities, while Boulder will also receive expansion resources. The Pine Hills facility in Miles City, which typically houses juvenile males, is being repurposed as part of the strategy to increase bed capacity.

State officials indicated the final expansion plan will be developed over the coming months as they work through the logistics of facility conversions and operational adjustments.

The shift reflects budget constraints and a preference for utilizing existing state property rather than funding a costly new construction project. The decision comes as Montana’s correctional system continues to grapple with population pressures across multiple facilities.