The new 90-bed prerelease center in Evergreen is slated for opening on Oct. 27.
The Flathead Valley Reentry Center aims to focus on helping offenders to transition back into the community, said the center’s operations manager Jim Sanderson, during the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday.
A community open house is set for Oct. 21-23 prior to the center’s opening in the former Greenwood Village Inn & Suites on East Oregon Street.
Residents will come to the center from facilities across the state, including the Montana State Prison, state Department of Corrections facilities, various assessment centers and individuals with court-ordered inpatient treatment for drug and alcohol dependency issues.
There’s a selection process within the Department of Corrections to determine whether a felon may be successful in the reentry program, Sanderson said. The time a resident stays in the center is roughly three to six months.
“It’s an investment,” Sanderson said. “We don’t want to invest in people that have shown a track a record of not wanting to actually return on that investment.”
Center residents are required to work a job and are closely monitored in their daily routines. Rehabilitative programs are provided in the center, and residents benefit from a reward system for good behavior.
Residents also face consequences for inappropriate behavior, which includes simple tasks like failing to make their bed in the morning.
“It’s kind of like parenting 101,” Sanderson said.
Out of respect to safety concerns of the surrounding community, the center will provide its own ad hoc transportation center, and residents only leave on a pre-approved schedule. Any resident who fails to show up to work is considered an escaped felon, Sanderson said.
“So, you can be pretty certain that they’re gonna show up for work most of the time,” he said.
Sanderson is currently focused on hiring staff to operate the center. The goal is to hire 18 security personnel, eight rehabilitative and therapy professionals, a two-member community transportation team, probation and parole staff, and a representative from the Department of Labor and Industry.
Once the prerelease center is up and running, Sanderson said there are future plans to establish a community watch program within the adjacent trailer park the facility sits behind. There will also be extra security staff during night shifts to monitor the surrounding area.
“The Department of Corrections is very cognizant of the need for this place to be as secure as it can, and still function as a reentry center,” Sanderson said. “They’ve invested a lot of money in security technologies. We have the fanciest camera system I’ve ever seen.”
THE CHAMBER luncheon also provided the opportunity to learn about the $105 million bond for a proposed new Flathead County jail that’s set to go before voters in November. Sheriff Brian Heino and jail Commander Jenny Root gave an overview of the current jail’s conditions and why a new facility is needed.
“A lot of times people think of a jail like a hotel. If we have 100 beds, we can fit 100 inmates,” Root said. “That can’t be farther from the truth.”
The average jail operates at 80% capacity, Root said, and the jail in Flathead County typically stays between 70-75% capacity, with 150 beds. Inmates need to be separated for a variety of reasons, including based on gender, mental health, sickness, pregnancy and violent charges.
However, the population growth in the Flathead Valley has strained jail resources, limiting the flexibility to separate inmates. Tough decisions are made to decide who goes to jail and who is let go, Heino said.
Current jail conditions pose health and safety risks not only to its inmates, but also to jail staff. Crowded cells increase the risks of violence and safety issues. The facility has also faced structural issues, including electronic failure and flooding.
“My main concern is our staff,” Heino said. “The worst thing as a supervisor, or the person that is responsible for the operations of the facility, is getting the call that one of your staff is going to the hospital, and that is occurring more and more.”
Designs for the new facility include 200 inmate beds and a special housing unit with expanded health and mental health facilities. The new building would also house the Sheriff’s Office and a courtroom.
The county last year purchased 114 acres on Snowline Lane as a location for the potential jail. If approved, construction could begin as early as spring of 2026 and would take about three years to complete.
The bond, if approved by voters, would be funded through property taxes over a 20-year period. The county estimates that property taxes for homes with a $100,000 assessed market value will increase by $11.13 in the first year. For homes valued at $300,000, property taxes will go up by $33.38. And for homes valued at $600,000, property taxes will increase by $76.72.