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Mineral County Working Toward Re-Opening Jail

The county closed the jail after losing three of its five jailers in a short period of time

By Justin Franz

MISSOULA — Mineral County has named a new sheriff and is working toward re-opening its jail, which was closed in early November due to a lack of qualified jailers.

Sheriff Tom Bauer resigned about two weeks later.

The Missoulian reports former Undersheriff Mike Boone will complete Bauer’s term, which ends next year. The county is holding interviews for a jail administrator and four detention officers.

The county closed the jail after losing three of its five jailers in a short period of time.

Commissioners have voted to leave the undersheriff position open in order to increase the pay for jailers and dispatchers by $1.80 an hour. Jailer pay had started at $10.10 an hour.

Deputies, detention officers and dispatchers went on strike in May 2016 after working without a contract for nearly a year.