Governor Gianforte, Billings Law Enforcement Highlight Public Safety Investments

Call for $150 million to expand capacity at Montana State Prison

• April 02 2025

BILLINGS, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today held a press conference with law enforcement officers in Billings to underscore the importance of investments to improve public safety and increase bed capacity at the state prison.

"The reality is rising crime is impacting our communities and there's a direct correlation to the open border policies championed by Joe Biden," Gov. Gianforte said. "Law enforcement officers should have the resources they need to fight rising crime. For the safety of our communities, we must continue our investments."

Gov. Gianforte holding a press conference with Billings law enforcement

In his Path to Security and Prosperity, his budget for the next biennium, Gov. Gianforte outlined $150 million of one-time-only funding to expand capacity at the Montana State Prison and $250 million in one-time-only funding to develop and execute a long-term plan to improve public safety and keep criminals off the streets.

In his State of the State address, the governor identified the funding for the state prison to expand capacity by 500 beds, saying, "We can't find and prosecute criminals if we don't have a place to put them. The fact is too many criminals who ought to be at the state prison are filling up county jails. I'm told there are thousands of unserved warrants in Montana due to a lack of space to lock up criminals."

Speaking to the impact of the investment to help reduce the burden on county jails, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Lender said, "All county jails are busting at the seams. And a lot of it has to do with the capacity at the state prison because many of the people that we are holding would otherwise be at the State."

The sheriff continued, "This investment is very important to us, very important for public safety, and very important to our community."

Billings Police Chief Rich St. John added, "Locally, we're not going to see any of this money, specifically, but the ripple effects - local, state, and federal - will be profound. Because anything we do in the justice system, whether you take something away or add something, makes a difference and affects the entire system. So, adding capacity to the prison will affect, positively, our population here at the detention facility."

Chief St. John noted that in 2024, 60 percent of arrests in Billings were of repeat offenders, adding, "These are the individuals that are tying up the system, reoffending, causing issues - if we can increase capacity at all levels, it will certainly benefit the community."

The governor's budget also invests $6.5 million to increase pay, training, and resources for corrections officers. It also included $7 million to increase pay for the men and women of the Montana Highway Patrol.

Katie Weston, the warden of the Montana Women's Prison, said, "The pay increase for correctional officers is incredibly valuable. It allows us to operate a safe facility for both staff and inmates, ensuring we can provide a positive environment. We're grateful for prioritizing increasing prison capacity and pay."

Chief St. John added, "Adding correction officers will improve safety for not only the inmates, but also for staff and help with retention and recruiting at that level."

Rounding out the press conference, Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said, "The governor's plan is an incredible investment for law enforcement. As a county attorney, I work with our law enforcement officers to try to take bad people off the streets. And it's frustrating for the boots on the ground when they make an arrest and can't put them in the detention facility. But the governor increasing capacity in the state prison will allow us to move people out of our jail and give space for our officers to make successful arrests to protect you."

Watch Gov. Gianforte's press conference here .

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