How will the prospect of a regional facility affect Madison County?
While a regional facility has been discussed by officials in Southwest Montana, it is not seen as a viable replacement for our county jail needs. The discussion of a regional facility was precipitated primarily by the problem of over-crowding in the Gallatin County jail. All indicators suggest that Bozeman’s need will exceed the capacity of a new facility long before Madison County will have a chance to make use of it. Having access to a regional facility may lessen the burden of providing housing for detainees serving long-term sentences, but seems impractical for anything less for the same reasons we face in our current situation regarding the cost and transportation of inmates.
