Department of Corrections ‘Reentry’ Center to Open Next Week in Evergreen
Offenders could start arriving at the former Greenwood Village Inn and Suites from the Montana State Prison as early as next week to begin reintegrating back into the community in the first state-run prerelease facility
By Maggie Dresser
Local convicted felons could start transitioning back into the community as soon as next week as the Montana Department of Corrections (MDOC) prepares to open a 90-bed “reentry center” to provide a step-down program for male offenders to reintegrate into the Flathead Valley following incarceration.
The reentry center, historically known as a prerelease center, at the former Greenwood Inn and Suites on East Oregon Street will serve as the MDOC’s first state-run center, partnering with other agencies such as Job Service Kalispell while bringing in services like state treatment classes. Other resources include case management, group therapy, an on-site probation officer with a K9 and a registered nurse.
“I think that we have the opportunity to really pilot some things here,” Community Corrections Facilities and Programs Bureau Chief Megan Coy said at the Oct. 22 reentry center open house and tour.
The opening comes after the 2023 Legislature set aside funding for a prerelease center in Flathead County followed by a search for an appropriate facility. A lawsuit was settled earlier this year after the Flathead County Board of Adjustment denied its conditional use permit.
“When we first walked in, we [said], ‘This is going to be the best prerelease center in the country,’” MDOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “It’s so beautiful, let alone in the Flathead Valley, and most importantly, it sounds like you guys have a workforce issue – and we have workers – so we’re hoping to connect our people with employers to start filling some of those jobs that can’t get filled.”
The MDOC is working with Job Service Kalispell to connect prerelease center residents with employment opportunities, which will fill the work requirement for all offenders.
Convicts will transition into the reentry center from the Montana State Prison and begin the first of four phases, with phase one as the intake period, phase two with employment and programming, phase three offering increased independence and stability, and phase four including discharge planning. Residents stay at the center for up to six months.
Operations Manager Jim Sanderson said the facility will slowly begin accepting residents next week, which will likely start with two individuals when intakes begin.
While MDOC officials have been steadily staffing the reentry center, Sanderson said the facility is seeking six more security officers along with community transportation officers and sergeant positions.
The reentry center opening marks the end of a saga that began more than 15 years ago when a center was proposed in Flathead County in 2009 but never materialized.
In 2023, the Montana Legislature set aside $7.1 million for a prerelease center in northwest Montana.
According to MDOC officials, Flathead County offenders, which account for 14.4% of the Montana State Prison population, are currently sent to other statewide prerelease centers far from their homes, which creates barriers when they return to the Flathead.
Prerelease centers are designed to transition offenders back into the community through a six-month program that requires participants work full time and receive appropriate treatments under intensive supervision.
The prerelease center proposal was revisited at the end of the 2023 Legislature followed by several public forums and meetings with community members last year where officials heard concerns related to the facility. The Flathead County Board of Commissioners approved the permit’s consideration of adoption in a 2-1 vote on Oct. 1, 2024. Commissioners Randy Brodehl and Brad Abell supported the facility while Pam Holmquist voted in opposition.