The Montana Department of Corrections announced Friday that two inmates, one from Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge and another from Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby, died recently due to COVID-19-related illness.
One inmate passed away at MSP on Oct. 24. The other passed away on Oct. 31 at Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls, where the inmate was transported from Crossroads to receive medical care.
To protect the privacy of the deceased and their families, and to comply with state and federal law, the DOC will not release additional information.
The death that occurred in Powell County will be reflected on the Friday, Nov. 6 state COVID-19 tracking map and on the DOC’s COVID-19 response web page located here: https://cor.mt.gov/COVID-19 [cor.mt.gov]. The Toole County death was added to the state map on Nov. 1.
“The Montana Department of Corrections extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of these individuals,” DOC Director Reginald D. Michael said. “The health and safety of staff and inmates in our secure facilities remain our priorities as we all negotiate the significant challenges presented by this virus. Thank you to our knowledgeable and dedicated employees who strive every day to ensure compassionate, quality care to the people in our custody.”
Virus activity was first identified in MSP in mid-October. As of Friday, a cumulative total of 261 inmates have been infected at the facility.
Crossroads, a private, DOC-contract facility operated by CoreCivic, discovered cases of COVID-19 at its facility in September – the cumulative total for cases among DOC inmates at that facility is 260.