The public is invited to tour a new 90-bed pre-release center in Evergreen at a pair of upcoming open house events later this month.

Montana Department of Corrections’ new Flathead Valley Reentry Center is located at 1150 East Oregon St. It is expected to open later this month. The center aims to focus on helping offenders to transition back into the community.

On Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m., people can tour the facility, meet the staff and learn how the Department of Corrections plans to support its residents as they return to the community. 

On Oct. 23, employers are invited to attend employer-specific open houses from 12-1 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. They can tour the facility, meet the staff and learn about hiring workers from the reentry center. Representatives from the Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Reentry, Job Service and Recovery Friendly Workplace will be on site. 

To offer area residents a glimpse of what formerly incarcerated individuals encounter when they return to the community, the Department of Corrections is also hosting a public reentry simulation at the pre-release center on Oct. 22 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. In the reentry simulation, participants are invited to play the part of the formerly incarcerated person experiencing the ups and downs associated with returning home after incarceration. Participation in the reentry simulation is free and limited to 50 people, so register today with Meghan Alexander at [email protected].

“We are excited to welcome the public and business owners to our facility to see the hard work our staff has put in over the last several months,” Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin said. “This is Montana’s first DOC-run reentry facility, and our team is ready to start making a difference. We know that being closer to family and having a support system helps offenders succeed, so we can’t wait to see these Flathead Valley residents come home and reintegrate into their community.”