The Montana Department of Corrections announced Thursday it is exploring the conversion of Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City into an adult female prison, a move driven by mounting overcrowding in the state's women's corrections system. The department said it is looking at both relocating some female prisoners to the facility and potentially renovating the Miles City campus to accommodate the population long-term.
Pine Hills currently operates as a youth correctional facility. Any conversion to adult female use would represent a significant shift in the institution's function and raise questions about where the youth population it currently serves would be housed. The DOC characterized its review as exploratory, and no final decision or timeline has been announced.
Overcrowding in Montana's female prison population has been a persistent pressure point for the corrections system. The Women's Prison in Billings has operated near or above capacity for years, and the state has periodically used contract beds out of state to manage overflow. A conversion of Pine Hills — if it moves forward — would represent a permanent infrastructure solution rather than a stopgap contract arrangement. The DOC is expected to provide additional detail as the review progresses.