The Montana Department of Corrections announced Monday that the warden overseeing the state prison in Deer Lodge is currently on leave. They withheld additional details concerning the circumstances. Montana State Prison Warden Jim Salmonsen’s leave began on Jan. 14, as per department spokesperson Carolynn Stocker, who was unable to specify the reason or duration of the leave.
Associate Warden Scott McNeil has stepped in as acting warden. Salmonsen, a veteran employee of the state prison with a 30-year tenure, became warden in late 2020.
This development occurs amid Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration’s request for $150 million from the state Legislature to expand the state prison, addressing longstanding capacity issues. Recently, private prison company CoreCivic disclosed that Montana will transfer 240 additional inmates to its Mississippi facility, tallying about 600 Montanans held in out-of-state prisons.
The state prison housed 1,571 inmates as of Jan. 19, according to a department dashboard.
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