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| Commission OKs prerelease center’s addition |
| By helenair.com - PIPER HAUGAN |
| Published: 10/04/2011 |
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The city commission gave Boyd Andrew prerelease center the OK to expand by 12 beds, two of which are earmarked for sex offenders, at Monday night’s commission meeting. The commission unanimously approved an amendment to the property’s conditional use permit to allow the expansion. It’s the fourth time the prerelease center has grown since it opened in 1999. The prerelease center’s CEO Mike Ruppert explained that the expansion comes from a new contract with Montana’s Department of Corrections. Boyd Andrew will take 105 prerelease candidates, up from the current 98, but sometimes the center isn’t full, and they need the extra room in case they need to take in more to keep the average at 105. He said the change doesn’t mean they’ll actually take sex offenders, but no other residents can use those beds. He added that the screening committee that chooses potential prerelease residents is composed of 50 percent community members, and nobody will move into the center without their say. Helena Police Chief Troy McGee said he’s been involved with the prerelease center since it started in 1999, and he has served on the screening committee. He said he had been adamant about not taking sex offenders, mostly because of public testimony, but now he thinks it may be time to take a few. He noted that numerous Montana towns have sex offenders in the community, including Helena, and the prerelease center is capable of taking care of them. Read More. |
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