Montana moves hundreds of prisoners to MS correctional facility. Here’s why
Hundreds of people incarcerated by the Montana Department of Corrections were relocated to a Mississippi prison, a move that will help the agency more effectively manage its secure population, according to a spokesperson.
The Montana Department of Corrections decided in March to relocate their out-of-state adult male population from the Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi, an agency spokesperson told McClatchy News in an April 23 email.
The relocation was completed April 22, adding 360 incarcerated persons to the Mississippi facility which was already hosting 240 people from Montana, the spokesperson said.
The Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona and the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi are both operated by CoreCivic, a private prison company formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America.
Here’s what to know about the relocation.
Why are Montana inmates at a Mississippi prison?
The Montana Department of Corrections uses out-of-state prison beds to house some of its population because of overcrowding at secure facilities in the state, the spokesperson said, adding that a construction project is happening at the Montana State Prison to bring more than 900 beds to the facility.
The DOC decided to relocate its adult male population at Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona to Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi for the following reasons, the spokesperson said:
- Effectiveness in leveraging MDOC’s out-of-state contracts by putting Montana’s out-of-state incarcerated persons in one location
- Provide greater consistency for the people in prison in relation to service opportunities
How can family members reach MDOC’s out-of-state incarcerated persons?
Family members of people in prison at the Mississippi facility can reach out via the following methods, according to the spokesperson:
- Phone calls messages video visits
- In person visits
Do any other states have inmates at the prison in Mississippi?
Yes, the prison in Mississippi has inmates from the following areas, according to CoreCivic:
- Montana Department of Corrections
- Vermont Department of Corrections
- Wyoming Department of Corrections
- Hinds County
- Tallahatchie County
- U.S. Marshals Service
- U.S. Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections
