The Montana Department of Corrections said Monday that the warden responsible for the state prison in Deer Lodge is on leave, but declined to provide further information about the situation.
Montana State Prison Warden Jim Salmonsen’s leave started Jan. 14, according to department spokesperson Carolynn Stocker. Stocker said Monday she could not provide more information about the reason for Salmonsen’s leave or how long it could last.
Associate Warden Scott McNeil is acting as warden, Stocker said.
Salmonsen, who has worked for the state prison for three decades, was named warden in late 2020.
His leave comes as the administration of Gov. Greg Gianforte is asking the state Legislature for $150 million to expand the state prison, which has struggled with capacity issues in recent years. CoreCivic, a private prison contractor, announced last week the state would be sending an additional 240 inmates to its Mississippi facility, meaning about 600 Montana inmates are being held at out-of-state CoreCivic facilities.
As of Jan. 19, the state prison held 1,571 inmates, according to a department dashboard.
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