Yellowstone County and the city of Billings are moving forward with plans to start construction of a new jail this fall.
The two local governments locked down a $6 million deal in May to build a lockup to house offenders who pose a risk to public safety, but have not been charged with crimes severe enough to land time in the jam-packed county jail.
Construction started in fall of 2017 on renovation and expansion of the Yellowstone County Detention Facility.
Schutz Foss Architects has been looking into both temporary and long-term solutions for the overcrowded detention center.
People are also reading…
The architects presented plans to the county commissioners on Thursday to build a 10,000-square-foot lockup just east of the existing jail on King Avenue East. Each of the two stories is expected to house 33 to 48 inmates while they wait for their initial court appearance.
Sletten Construction will oversee the building of the short-term jail. Project Manager Brooke Logan said they hope to start construction this fall and have the jail finished by next summer.
The city of Billings and Yellowstone County have a three-year agreement to share the cost of construction. Late last year, the city offered to help with a temporary fix while the county works toward a long-term expansion of the detention center, which has capacity for 434 inmates but now regularly houses more than 600.
Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!
