GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter reported that three inmates have died in separate incidents at the Cascade County Detention Center within the last two weeks. Two of the deaths were suicides, and one was due to a drug overdose.

“This is very troubling to me, and I know it’s troubling to our community, too,” Slaughter said in a live video shared on Facebook.

Slaughter noted the jail faces significant challenges with inmates suffering from mental health issues, emphasizing that the facility is not adequately equipped to handle these problems. Previously, inmates requiring mental health treatment were sent to the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, which lost its federal certification in 2022. This led to long waitlists and quick returns of inmates to the community.

To address these issues, the Cascade County Detention Center has implemented several measures. These include an on-site mental health provider, a designated pod for inmates with mental health challenges, and the support of a social worker.

The jail is also awaiting approval of a $3 million mental health crisis diversion grant. Sheriff Slaughter explained, “The idea behind that program is that we’re going to do a lot more for our community, especially our community that are really struggling, and oftentimes because of their struggle, end up in our jail. We all know that’s not the right place for them.”

He also stressed the need for a 72-hour holding facility, funded by the grant, to keep individuals needing treatment out of jail.

Addressing the issue of drugs in the jail, Slaughter said, “There are people purposely and intentionally muling drugs into jails, not just in our jail, but all across the state and all across the country.”

Efforts to reduce the inmate population at the Cascade County facility are underway to maintain a manageable environment, even if it results in reduced revenues.

The investigations into the deaths are ongoing.

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