The Flathead County Commission hopes to find a remedy for the community’s crowded jail.
Last week, Commissioner Gary Krueger said the jail was a “front burner” problem for the county government as the inmate population continues to grow. Just two weeks ago, the jail housed 124 inmates, the most it has ever held in one night.
“We need to start planning now and we need to start saving to solve this issue because this jail problem will not be going away anytime soon,” he said.
Krueger said the county has been slowly setting aside money for the last few years to fund the construction of a new jail or expansion of the current facility. However, Krueger said the county would need to save much more if it wants to build a new facility, which could cost upwards of $20 million. He said the commission might have to go to the public to request a vote on a jail bond to cover any additional costs.
Krueger said he hopes the board would begin looking at making a formal plan to build a new jail over the coming months.
Commissioner Phil Mitchell echoed Krueger’s sentiment.
“We need to move forward with this,” Mitchell said. “We need to figure out where we’re going. We need to have direction.”
The Flathead County Detention Center was built in 1985 to hold 63 inmates, but today it regularly houses more than 100 people.
Last year, the county began looking at purchasing the old Walmart in Evergreen to convert into a jail, but the deal fell through when someone else made a better offer. That other offer has since fallen through, and County Administrator Mike Pence said the owners of the building know the county is still interested and the $2.8 million offer remains.
Krueger said purchasing the old Walmart would be an ideal solution to the jail-crowding problem.
“Buying that building is still the best option,” he said. “That could save us a lot of time and dollars.”
Sheriff Chuck Curry and other law enforcement officials across the Flathead Valley have said the crowded jail has put a strain on officers. In some cases, officers have to give suspects citations instead of arresting them because there is no room in the jail.
“We have a catch and release program in Flathead County right now where we arrest people and then have to let them go,” said Kalispell Chief Roger Nasset. “(The overcrowded jail) is absolutely putting the community’s safety at risk.”