In 1866, Representative John N. Rodgers introduced HB Memorial 7, which sought federal funds for a territorial penitentiary in Montana. In January 1867, funding was approved and the penitentiary opened in Deer Lodge in July 1871. It was relinquished to Montana Territory in 1873 and taken over by the federal government once again in 1874. In 1889, the penitentiary became a state institution, the Montana State Prison, when Montana achieved statehood.
The state contracted with former prison guard Frank Conley and Colonel Thomas McTague to operate the penitentiary from 1890 to 1908, with Conley as warden. In 1909, the state hired Conley as warden, a position he held until 1921. Conley instituted an extensive trusty program in which many prisoners worked outside the prison walls. Prison work crews built roads in western Montana and constructed buildings at the Montana State Hospital for the Insane and the Montana State Tuberculosis Sanitarium, as well as making many improvements to the prison itself. In 1921, Governor Joseph Dixon initiated an investigation of Conley's alleged use of state monies for personal gain; this investigation led to Conley's dismissal.
During the Great Depression, state appropriations for the prison decreased, while the facility itself continued to deteriorate – especially the originally constructed 1896 cellblock. Prison conditions also continued to deteriorate. The prison had no indoor plumbing, poor electrical wiring, an outdated library, and inmates were often forced to remain idle in their cells for the majority of the day.
Faye O. Burrell was warden of the prison from 1953 to 1958. During this time, although appropriated thousands of dollars to improve the prison, Burrell spent very little of this money. The legislature appropriated $105,000 for a new minimum security building; Burrell spent approximately $125 of those dollars of the project. During this time, prison population swelled to over 600, well above the previous average of 543 inmates. According to a visiting official, Montana State Prison suffered from “the lowest employee morale he had ever encountered in a penal institution.” Prison guard salaries were also amongst the lowest in the nation, and very little training was offered to staff.
In 1957, an investigation of prison conditions conducted by Kenyon J. Scudder reported appalling and potentially explosive conditions at the prison. In July 1957, some prisoners took guards hostage and made several demands, including better food, better hospitalization, abolishing the “silence system” at meals, better lighting in cells, yard privileges, and a federal investigation of the prison as a whole. Following this, Governor Aronson agreed to hire a professional warden, and in the fall of 1957 the state hired Floyd Powell as warden and Theodore Rothe as deputy warden. Powell and Rothe worked to implement changes, such as education programs, a prison classification system (to separate inmates with different degrees of crime committed), increased quality and quantity of prison food, and better recreation.
In 1959, inmates Jerry Myles, Lee Smart, and George Alton, attempted to escape the prison. In their attempt, Rothe was killed and Powell was taken hostage. While they planned to kill Powell, another prisoner, Walter Trotchie, – tasked as executioner of Powell – broke down and let Powell escape via the front gate. Inside, Myles continued to take hostages. Myles also convinced the other inmates that a prison riot could bring about greater change within the prison – though most saw “no pressing need to riot.” (Edgerton, 66) Eventually, most inmates voluntarily returned to their cells. Sensing their escape plan would be a failure, Myles shot Smart in the head, before shooting himself. This riot brought prison reform to the spotlight, and plans for a new facility were drawn up in the mid-1960s. In 1963, the prison was made part of the Department of Institutions. A new prison was constructed in 1979 outside of Deer Lodge.
As of 2025, the Montana State Prison operates within the Department of Corrections.
Sources: Newspapers.com, Keith Edgerton, “‘A Tough Place to Live’: The 1959 Montana
State Prison Riot,”
The Montana State Tuberculosis Sanitarium (renamed Galen State Hospital in 1965) was created by Chapter 125, Laws of 1911 and was located in Deer Lodge, Montana. The bill was introduced by Jim McNally, whose brother died of “miner’s lung” the year before. The facilities were constructed in 1912, and the first patient, a 22-year-old woman from Missoula, was admitted in 1913. Galen was originally created to treat patients with tuberculosis. Prior to antibiotics, common treatments for tuberculosis included rest, high altitude, and dry air.
In 1953, 100 additional beds were added for Native Americans with tuberculosis, along with an additional 72 beds. The total capacity at that time was 340 patients. By 1960, tuberculosis rates began to decline. Children from the Boulder Training School (later named the Montana Development Center) were transferred to Galen as a result of overcrowding at the Training School. Galen began treating patients with other chest diseases, such as silicosis, as well as drug use, mental disabilities, and aging seniors. The hospital was also responsible for operating an alcoholism services center, which was moved from Warm Springs to Galen in 1974. In 1981, legislation passed combining the Montana State Hospital and Galen under one administration. In both 1991 and 1992, the Stan Stephens administration attempted to close the hospital. In 1993, legislation passed to close Galen. The 80 acre, 28 building campus was sold to Anaconda-Deer Lodge County in 1998.
Article VII, Section 9 of the 1889 Montana Constitution established the State Board of Pardons, which was to be composed of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and State Auditor. This article permitted the Governor to “grant pardons, remit fines and forfeitures, and commute punishments subject to the approval” of the Board of Pardons (State Board of Pardons Annual Report, 1994). This Board had no parole responsibilities.
In 1907, the Montana Legislature established the State Board of Prison Commissioners, consisting of the Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General, for purposes of parole. And inmate could be offered parole with the following exceptions: if they were previously convicted of a felony, if they had not yet served half their term or 12 and a half years, or (if they had a life sentence) they had not yet served 25 years. In 1955, the Board of Pardons and Board of Prison Commissioners merged into the reconstituted Board of Pardons. Later, following the 1971 Executive Reorganization, the Board of Pardons was transferred to the Department of Institutions (now Department of Corrections) for administrative purposes.
The Montana Mental Health Advisory Council was established under the Governor's Office in 1974 by House Joint Resolution 66. This Council sought to improve the Montana mental health system. In 1977, the Council was transferred to the Department of Institutions by executive order. During that year, the Council produced a report which contained 68 recommendations from a 28-month long evaluation of the Montana mental health system. Between 1977 and 1979, the Council analyzed information from the Department of Institutions, Warm Springs (Montana State Hospital), Galen State Hospital, as well as other health centers. The Council also regularly consulted with the Department of Institutions to review the State Mental Health Plan. The Council ceased to exist on July 1, 1979.
To learn more, you can read the 1977 and 1979
In July 1908, the Montana State Board of Prison Commissioners took over the management of the Montana State Prison, with Frank Conley appointed as warden. Conley, in partnership with Thomas McTague as Conley & McTague, had operated the prison as contractor since 1890. The state rented the property belonging to Conley & McTague even after the institution became a state facility. In his message to the 11th Montana Legislative Assembly, Governor Edwin L. Norris called for the state to purchase the "personal property necessary for conducting the prison, " including, "the water supply, the material used in the supply and distributing system, [and] nearly all the personal property used in conducting the prison...." from Conley & McTague.
As a result of the recommendations of a special committee appointed by the 11th Montana Legislative Assembly to examine the possibility of the state's purchasing the assets of the partnership, the Prison Appraisal Committee was created. The members, appointed by the Board of Prison Commissioners, were charged with appraising the property belonging to Conley & McTague. The Prison Appraisal Committee included William Lindsay, Glendive; J.C. McNamara, Helena; Martin Maginnis, Helena; George Stanton, Great Falls; and Thomas Lockman, Missoula. McNamara and Stanton were both unable to serve on the Committee and were replaced by Louis Heitman of White Sulphur Springs, and Herbert Strain of Great Falls. The Committee first met on June 16, 1909, and adjourned on October 1, 1909.
The 1963 Montana Legislature established the Department of Institutions to provide greater efficiency in state institution operations and create centralized state control. It was directed by Maurice A. Harmon for 15 months before he retired in August 1965, stating that he was resigning in “protest,” citing administrative and staffing difficulties. In 1971, following the Executive Reorganization, the Department of Institutions was re-established. Additionally, the Montana State Board of Public Institutions was established in 1963 as the official administrator of nine Montana state institutions providing care and rehabilitation to state residents requiring institutional care. This Board was terminated in 1979.
The Montana Department of Institutions functioned as the administrator of Montana state institutions, including: the Montana Children's Center, the State Soldier's Home (Montana Veterans Home), the Warm Springs State Hospital (Montana State Hospital), the State Training School and Hospital (Boulder River School and Hospital), the State Industrial School for Boys (Pine Hills School), the State Vocational School for Girls (Mountain View School), Montana State Tuberculosis Sanitarium (Galen State Hospital), the Montana State Prison, the Eastmont Training Center (Eastmont Human Services Center), the Division of Mental Hygiene, the Swan River Youth Forest Camp, and the Montana Center for the Aged.
In 1992, the Department was renamed the Department of Corrections and Human Services. In 1995, the Department split into the Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). The oversight of the Montana State Hospital (Warm Springs) and Eastmont Human Services Center was transferred to DPHHS, while the Department of Corrections retained oversight of the Montana State Prison, Montana Women's Prison, and Pine Hills Correctional Facility.
As 2025, the Department of Corrections has the following Divisions: Director’s
Office, Centralized Services Division, Public Safety Division (which oversees
Montana State Prison, Montana Women’s Prison, and Pine Hills Correctional Facility),
and Rehabilitation and Programs Division. The Montana Board of Pardons and Parole is
administratively attached to the Department. To see a current list of Divisions and
staff, please visit the
This collection contains records from the various Divisions, Boards, and Predecessor
Agencies preceeding, within, or associated with the Montana Department of
Corrections. The Department of Corrections records were integrated under one
collection number to help facilitate access and reduce redundancy in the MTHS
catalog.
To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup/sub-subgroup, please click on the links below in the arrangement section to be redirected to those finding aids.
This subgroup (1864-1974) contains records pertaining to the Montana State Prison, as well as the Board of State Prison Commissioners, State Board of Pardons, and the United States Penitentiary (Montana Territory).
The records of the Montana State Prison are divided into five series. The general correspondence (1891-1916) contains letters between Frank Conley and Thomas McTague and the governor, the clerk of the Board of Examiners, and two suppliers to the prison. The outgoing correspondence (1909-1921) of Conley and McTague pertains to inmates (paroles, pardons, behavior, time served, restoration to citizenship, escapes, work camps, sale of goods produced by prisoners, etc.), supplies, prison employment, penology, personal business of Conley and McTague, etc. The financial records (1893-1963) include cash books, general ledgers, journals, prisoner accounts with Deer Lodge and prison stores, voucher registers, etc.
The bulk of the prisoner records (1881-1974) consists of prison description sheets which include each prisoners' vital statistics, and information about the crime committed, the sentence received, and a list of past crimes. The prisoner records also include lists of a conduct record; criminal charges against former Montana State Prison inmates; lists of prisoners received and discharged; a medical treatment record; lists of prisoners who were pardoned, paroled, and received suspended sentences, diminished sentences, and restoration of citizenship; and prison population statements.
The records of the State Board of Pardons include minutes (1880-1926), prisoner records (1892-1922), and miscellany (1963, 1965). The minutes are primarily approvals of paroles. The prisoner records are correspondence and documents relating to specific prisoners' pardons.
The records of the Board of State Prison Commissioners are divided into seven series. The general correspondence (1905-1929) consists of correspondence of the clerk of the Board. The hearings series (1957) consists of a transcript of a hearing concerning an investigation of conditions at the prison. The legal documents (1907, 1927) consist of an agreement for the purchase of cement and an easement granted to a railroad. The minutes (1890-1962) primarily concern the approval of paroles, the discharge of prisoners, the termination of sentences, return of prisoners for violation of parole, transfer of prisoners to the State Hospital for the Insane, etc. For some years (1910-1927,1949-1954) there is a separate run of minutes that deals exclusively with paroles. There is some discussion of procedures, investigations, etc. The prisoner records (1913-1955) consist of suspended sentence orders. The reports series (1960) consists of a report by the Prison Advisory Board concerning prison industries. The miscellany series (1959, undated) includes blank forms, procedural guidelines, and interviews with prisoners relating to the approval of "good time".
The records of the United States Penitentiary, Montana Territory, are divided into six series. The general correspondence series (1875) consists of correspondence sent by W. F. Wheeler concerning housing prisoners. The incoming correspondence series (1874-1876) consists of correspondence received by W. F. Wheeler concerning housing prisoners and leasing space in court rooms. The financial records series (1886-1889) consists of an expense journal kept R. S. Kelley. The legal documents series consists of leases, memoranda of agreement and miscellany concerning housing prisoners, operating the prison and construction of the prison. The reports series (1873, 1878, undated) consists of reports of the Directors, the Physician, the Warden, and the U.S. Grand Jury. The miscellany series (1868-1878) consists of documents regarding the construction of the prison, inventories and rules and regulations.
This subgroup contains records from the sub-subgroup, Galen State Hospital. Galen operated within the Department of Corrections and Human Services before closing in 1993.
Records consist of patient case/medical files (nos. 1-56, 403, 1-17,999), and examination files (nos. 0-1x to 0-3623x) for patients at the Galen facility; patient case files (1970s-1990s) from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program; and a card file (A-Z) of silicosis patients. The records also include admissions (1913-1978), applications for admission, discharges (1913-1990), death registrar log (1976-1993), Custodial Care Unit admissions (1967-1972) and discharges (1967-1977), and X-patient follow-up examinations (1960-1971). Patient files include information on diagnosis, treatment, and related personal data for patients suffering from tuberculosis or silicosis, and, starting in the 1970s, from alcohol and drug abuse. Files are arranged numerically by case number. Also included is interoffice correspondence (1958-1989), employee records (1956-1973), minutes (1965-1993) of various committees, lab reports (1934-1958), narcotic and barbiturate inventories and registers (1943-1970), and subject files (1948-1993) which are arranged alphabetically.
This subgroup (1894-1994) contains records pertaining to the Department of Institutions, as well as records from the sub-subgroup, the Director’s Office, which operated as a Division within the Department.
Records (1894-1994) of the Department of Institutions consist of materials created by
and relating to the various correctional facilities overseen by the Department of
Institutions, including Pine Hills Correctional Facility, the State Vocational
School for Girls, Swan River Youth Forest Camp, and Montana Women's Correctional
Center. These records include financial records, minutes, organizational materials,
reports and subject files. Most of the records for Pine Hills and State Vocational
School document the day-to-day operations of the facility. The Swan River materials
consist of an architectural report and educational brochure, while the Women's
Correctional Center materials focus primarily on remodeling on the Warm Springs
campus, and planning for a new facility. Some files are
Records (1963-1991) of the Director’s Office consists of correspondence (1964-1991), including various correspondence to and from departmental staff and regarding the various institutions under the department’s control; grant files (1985-1989), including records related to alcohol, drugs, and chemical dependency programs and projects; financial records (1984-1985), including biennium budgets for various divisions and institutions; reports (1963-1989), including those for Warm Springs, the Boulder River School and Hospital, the Montana State Hospital, the Montana State Prison, and the Montana Center for the Aged; and subject files (1963-1988), including the Boulder River School and Hospital, Eastmont Training Center, Galen State Hospital, Montana Center for the Aged, Montana Youth Treatment Center, Pine Hills School, and Warm Springs State Hospital.
This subgroup (1963-1979) consists of records pertaining to the Board of Institutions, which was “sunset” in 1979. Records include minutes and an index to the minutes.
This subgroup (1974-1979) consists of records pertaining to the Montana Mental Health Advisory Council, which was transferred to the Department of Institutions in 1977 and abolished in 1979. Records consist of minutes.
This subgroup (1909) consists of records pertaining to the Montana Prison Appraisal Committee, which first met on June 16, 1909, and adjourned on October 1, 1909. Records consist of minutes.
This collection is arranged into six subgroups and several sub-subgroups, represented by the Institutions, Predecessor Agencies, Divisions, or Boards/Councils within or related to the Department of Corrections. Some of the subgroups contain records of individual institutions and/or Boards that operate within or are related to that Division.
To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup, please click on the links below to be redirected to those finding aids.
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Collection open for research.
Please see
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
In 2025, the various collections of the Montana Department of Corrections were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 506, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog, and to follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Corrections various Institutions/Predecessor
Agencies/Boards that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated
into
Each of the links above will redirect the user to a specific subgroup or sub-subgroup
of the Montana Department of Corrections. There may be some overlap or
inconsistencies in terms of which records are in which subgroup or sub-subgroup, as
these collections have
Please see specific subgroups or sub-subgroups for citation information.
Acquisition information available upon request.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Research Center catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.