Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/montana-state-prison/)
MISSOULA — The Montana Department of Corrections has reached a settlement with human rights groups that ends a nearly 30-year-old lawsuit over prison conditions stemming from a deadly 1991 riot at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. (more…) Continue Reading →
A veteran of the Nevada Department of Corrections has been hired as the new warden of Montana State Prison. Montana Department of Corrections Interim Director Loraine Wodnik announced Thursday that Michael Fletcher, whose most recent job was superintending a maximum-security juvenile detention facility in Nevada, will replace Warden Leroy Kirkegard. Kirkegard, warden for the past five years, is retiring on April 14. (more…) Continue Reading →
A recent visit to Deer Lodge brought back memories of my first and last brush with Hollywood. It was early July 1980 and I was the Anaconda Bureau reporter for the Montana Standard in Butte. I had heard there was a movie being filmed at the old prison in Deer Lodge, barely 25 miles from Anaconda, so I made arrangements to drive over and visit the set. (more…) Continue Reading →
One of the most important moments in Jerel Driver’s life came 3½ years ago, two days before he was to start serving a prison term for criminal endangerment. He was living in Glendive, where he committed most of his crimes. He said all his trouble involved the same two things: alcohol and violence. “I grew up fighting,” he said. “That’s the way it was. Continue Reading →
