It isn’t over, but the Flathead County Board of Adjustments put the brakes on the proposed Pre-release Center voting unanimously to deny the request by the Montana Department of Corrections.
Earlier in the day, the Flathead County Commissioners had voted 2-1 to allow the Pre-release Center to move to the next phase for approval–the Board of Adjustments. The Montana Department of Corrections wanted to convert the Greenwood Village Inn & Suite into a place where convicts can begin their transition back into society.
The biggest issue is the impact such a facility would have on nearby residents and businesses…especially the question of who will be living at the Center. The Department of Corrections tells us Flathead County accounts for a little less than 15% of the inmate population at their Deer Lodge facility. D-O-C has $7.1-million available to develop a Pre-release Center in Kalispell.
Commissioners Brodehl and Brad Abell voted in favor of sending the proposal forward. Commissioner Pam Holdquist voted no, siding with the concerns of the neighbors.
And so, the Department of Corrections says they’ll continue to find a suitable place for a Pre-release Center in Kalispell. If they so choose, they can resubmit their proposal in one year.
