Jail reaches record high population of 124

On Monday morning, the Flathead County Detention Center population reached 124, the highest it has ever been.

Between Sunday evening and Monday morning, officers booked 24 men and seven women for 17 felonies and 14 misdemeanors. Ten people were brought in for driving under the influence.

These numbers are unusual for a weekend without any major events or holidays, Sheriff Chuck Curry said.

On average, the jail holds about 107 inmates.

The jail reached the previous record, 119, in early October 2015.

“We usually fill up over the holidays, that’s usually our high point — which is still over capacity,” Curry said.

During the holidays, the jail count usually peaks at 110 to 115 inmates.

In November, Flathead County closed its juvenile detention facility, rerouting minor offenders to Missoula so some female inmates could be housed at the juvenile jail.

With the overflow facility, the jail reached its record-high inmate count Monday that includes 25 women and 99 men, Curry said.

The current jail was built in 1985 for a maximum of 63 prisoners, and over the years capacity has been maximized by double-bunking prisoners.

“The lesson we’ve learned is that most of the people who are in here truly need to be here,” Curry said. “If they’re not in here, then they’re out victimizing the public.”

To deal with a jail that has long surpassed its capacity, the Sheriff’s Office has sought solutions, Curry said. Sometimes that means asking judges to expedite cases or lower bail amounts for low-risk inmates, but those attempts usually come with little success, he said.

Several offenders released earlier than scheduled simply end up back in jail before the next weekend.

An effective solution cannot come from one direction, he said.

“It’s a systemwide issue,” Curry said. “Is it the courts? Is it probation and parole officers? Is it the county attorney’s office for being overworked? Is it the public defenders office for filing an ever-increasing sea of motions?”

There’s also a unprecedented amount of crime in the county, according to Curry, who said specifically there have never been as many property crimes related to drug crimes as the Sheriff’s Office has seen in recent months.

“We work and that and try to analyze that on a weekly, sometimes daily basis,” he said. “Sadly, there’s not always a clear answer.”

The county attempted to buy the former Evergreen Walmart building for a jail facility, but that prospect ended after a company offered to buy the property. Late last year, however, the commercial deal fell through, opening the prospect of the county making another bid for the Walmart property to secure a solution to the overcrowded jail.

Curry said it’s not clear whether or not the former Walmart property will be that solution.

“Who knows?” Curry said. “Commercial real estate deals are interesting, especially when you’re dealing with a company out of state.

“It held a lot of promise,” Curry said of the Walmart location. “It would take a whole lot less time and money to repurpose something like that than starting with 10 acres to build a jail. But I don’t know that I’d hold my breath right now.”

Curry said the Sheriff’s Office is exploring new options for how to handle multiple offenders, including new probation and house arrest programs to help keep people out of jail longer.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.