How Inmate Transports Work at Lewis and Clark County Detention Center (Why an Inmate Might Be Unavailable)

Lewis and Clark County Detention Center has a transport division that coordinates all prisoner movement in and out of the facility. This includes extraditions, both into Montana and out of state, which can pull someone out of the normal jail routine for days at a time.

This same division handles all prisoner transports to and from the Montana State Prison and the Montana State Women's Prison. If the person you're trying to reach is being transferred to one of those facilities, they may be physically out of the detention center, in processing, or otherwise unavailable while the move is underway.

Transports aren't only about jail-to-prison moves. The division also schedules and conducts medical appointment transports and mental-health transports. These trips can take time, and they often affect when someone can use phones or participate in visits.

Transports happen routinely here. The detention center reports average annual volumes of about 400 prisoner transports, 150 medical transports, 80 mental-health transports, and 30 extraditions. With that many movements each year, availability can change quickly whenever a transport is scheduled or in progress.

The most common destinations are the Montana State Prison and the Montana State Women's Prison, since the transport division handles all movement to and from those facilities. Extraditions in and out of state are another major category. These can involve longer timelines and more uncertainty about when the person will be reachable again.

For transport-specific questions, contact Transportation Officer Jacob Charles at 406-438-1974. This is the most direct way to find out whether someone has a scheduled transport, is currently out of the building, or may be returning later.

If you can't get your question answered through the transport officer, try the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office at 406-447-8200. The central address is 316 N. Park Avenue, Helena MT 59623.

For families, the key thing to understand is that transports can make someone temporarily unavailable even when nothing is "wrong." A prison transfer, a medical appointment, a mental-health transport, or an extradition can all take the person out of the detention center's normal schedule. That means missed calls and disrupted visits, even ones you've already planned.

1. Confirm what you’re trying to verify: If the issue is a missed call or visit, start by treating a transport as a realistic possibility.
2. Call the transport contact: Reach Transportation Officer Jacob Charles at 406-438-1974 to ask whether a transport is scheduled or in progress.
3. Use the Sheriff’s Office for general help: If you need broader assistance or can’t get what you need through the transport line, call the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office at 406-447-8200.