Editing Hardin, Montana (section)

==Jail==
{{Main|Two Rivers Detention Facility}}
In 2004–05, a consortium including architectural, bond sellers and contractors located in Texas, promoting the construction of speculative prison and jail ventures <ref>{{Citation| last = Hodai | first = Beau | title = The Rainmakers - Banking on Private Prisons in the Fleecing of Small Town America | magazine = [[In These Times (publication)|In These Times]]| date = March 3, 2010 | url = http://inthesetimes.com/article/5578/the_rainmakers}}</ref> convinced Hardin's industrial development authority to float a $27 million bond issuance to build the  [[Two Rivers Detention Facility]]. It was designed for 464 inmates, and was to be located on a {{convert|40|acre|m2|adj=on}} sugar beet field. The facility was slated to open in July 2007 but the state of Montana would not approve it.<ref>{{citation | title = Hardin Has Gitmo Aspirations | date = 2 May 2009| url = http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/hardin_has_gitmo_aspirations/10036/}}</ref> The Authority bonds defaulted on May 1, 2008.<ref>[http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/05/29/news/wyoming/e0fc15efa1122445872574570081efb9.txt Wyoming Won’t Put Prisoners in Montana Jail]</ref><ref>{{citation | title = Hardin jail hopes to house sex offenders | url = http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?s=7390474}}</ref> The consortium's contract terminated in January 2009 without any prisoners ever being housed in the jail.<ref>{{Citation|last=Shay |first=Becky |title=Hardin prison drawing media attention from around globe |newspaper=[[Billings Gazette]] |date=May 11, 2009 |url=http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/05/11/news/state/18-hardin.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514062524/http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/05/11/news/state/18-hardin.txt |archive-date=May 14, 2009 }}</ref><ref>Dawson, Pat. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20090506034416/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1894373,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner The Montana Town That Wanted to Be Gitmo]." ''[[TIME (magazine)|TIME]]''. Sunday May 3, 2009. Retrieved on May 3, 2009.</ref>

In November 2009 the Two Rivers Board hired its fifth director. A reserve fund of $814,000 was earmarked to maintain the building for possible future use.<ref>{{citation | title = Hard time in Hardin| url = http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_e4684f94-fe63-11de-afdd-001cc4c03286.html}}</ref> It remained complete and vacant for over seven years, though it was partially filled for 18 months. By February 2016, empty once again, it had cost the city $582,595 paid to Two Rivers to maintain it since 2004.<ref>[http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/hardin-jail-population-drops-to-zero/article_ef24926e-4d34-5fff-bd2d-4daabb2b02c7.html Regional Hardin Jail Population drops to Zero], ''[[Billings Gazette]]'', Matt Hudson, February 4, 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.</ref> Due to unpaid interest on the defaulted bonds, its estimated indebtedness had increased to over $40 million by December 2015.<ref>[http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/lacking-prisoners-hardin-jail-closes-again/article_863b6ca9-cbce-51a7-8b1d-0d4b4f962561.html Lacking prisoners Hardin jail closes again], ''[[Billings Gazette]]'', Matt Hudson, April 29, 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.</ref>

In April 2019, the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] took possession and began operations. The name was changed to the Rocky Mountain Regional Detention Facility.<ref>{{cite web |title=Two Rivers Authority |url=http://tworiversauthority.homestead.com |publisher=City of Hardin |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref>