After a number of fights over the last year about Department of Corrections (DOC) inmates housed at the Great Falls Regional Prison (GFRP), Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter issued a release Friday stating the DOC has agreed to pull its inmates out of the facility by June 30.
The move means the entire Cascade County Detention Center (CCDC) will be housing only pre-trial inmates. Since it was designed in 1998, the GFRP side of the facility has been reserved for inmates who have been sentenced and are serving their time.
CCDC was designed to hold 372 people. According to Friday s jail roster, there are currently 454 inmates housed there.
The release included statements from Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Keith Regier.
Levine and Abbott s hearings took place March 25, and Ohman s was March 26. Regier sponsored both Abbott and Ohman, while Democrat Diane Sands sponsored Levine.
The committee voted to recommend Gallatin County judge Peter Ohman. There was no mention in the release of the third interim judge up for confirmation, Lewis and Clark County judge Chris Abbott.
The Tribune reached out to Levine on Friday, but she was not available until after our print deadline. We will update this story with any comments she provides.
Regier said among the three candidates for the Cascade County judge position, Levine had the least amount of time practicing law under her belt and was chosen by former Gov. Steve Bullock over a candidate who had significant experience as a judge.
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A former Malmstrom Air Force Base airman who shot and killed another serviceman in February 2020 has changed his plea in Cascade County District Court.
Christopher Dominic Contardo, 26, pleaded guilty Wednesday to negligent homicide for fatally shooting Tristan Carlson during a party in the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 2020.
Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki said the plea agreement came after an all-day mediation session with members of Carlson’s family present. Racki told District Judge John Parker that the family got a chance to confront Contardo, which was “one of the reasons for a successful mediation.”
According to Contardo’s plea agreement, the state and the defense are recommending a six-year commitment to the Montana Department of Corrections with six years suspended and a 150-day commitment to the Great Falls Pre-Release Center.