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APPF Was Handed Keys To Hardin Jail Before Deal With Town Was Sealed

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Why was a private security firm given control of a jail in Hardin, Montana, before a lease agreement with the town was finalized?

Hardin officials, who yesterday put a deal with American Private Police Force on hold, are having a hard time answering the question.

A bank that is trustee on bonds used by Hardin to build the Two Rivers Detention Facility -- now in default -- never signed off on the APPF deal, which was first announced in early September.

But Al Peterson of Hardin's economic development agency, which owns the jail, told TPMmuckraker last Wednesday that "we handed the keys over -- they now occupy the facility." Several APPF officials have visited Hardin, but only Becky Shay, the company's spokeswoman, was based there full time -- working out of the 90,000+ square-foot jail building.

Shay told us today the company no longer has keys to the facility, and she calls the economic development agency when she needs to get in.

Here is an October 1 report from KULR in Montana, in which Shay gives an interview from inside the jail:

In an interview yesterday before the deal was put on hold, Peterson told TPMmuckraker he had "no idea who gave [the keys] to them or what day." Asked what Hardin would do if the deal was not consummated, Peterson replied:

"What would you do if you foreclosed on a home? You'd evict them."

He also said that APPF had put some money into the physical plant of the jail, but declined to specify what sort of work had been done. Peterson did not immediately respond to a call today.

Shay, for her part, told us today she had been setting up phones in the jail and doing other tasks to get it up and running. She said she plans to retrieve some personal items in the building. It's unclear whether Shay, who said "there's still work to be done" in Montana, will continue working out of the jail.

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14 comments

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October 6, 2009 4:09 PM   

So.... there is no legally approved deal for them to be in the jail?

If so, why are they even IN there?

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October 6, 2009 5:21 PM    in reply to Seafarer

You could just lock them in. Crooks off the street and finally a proper use for the facility!

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October 6, 2009 4:20 PM   

This reads like a sit-com. Seriously. You've got the deadly serious commandos playing dumb, you've got half of the Hardin, MT peeps all pulling a collective Sgt. Schultz, then there's some chick with bad hair and worse glasses working out of a JAIL vomiting forth random cryptic non-answers at every turn. Great comedy, Montanians.

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October 6, 2009 4:48 PM   

I suspect Becky Shay will soon be updating her resume.

Objective: To get my car, house and reputation back.

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October 6, 2009 5:46 PM   

! They will keep pushing this APPF deal. Its just "on hold", people.

"Shay, for her part, ***told us today*** she had been setting up phones in the jail and doing other tasks to get it up and running. She said she plans to retrieve some personal items in the building. It's unclear whether Shay, who said "there's still work to be done" in Montana, will continue working out of the jail." [quote from the TPM article]

Same game, different faces. Yesterdays TRA meeting:
"...board president Gary Arneson said APF needs to ***replace*** Hilton as a ***representative to Hardin***.
"I agree," said Mayor Ron Adams, standing in the audience. "He has no credibility in this community at all."
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_3819f80a-b23c-11de-9b80-001cc4c03286.html

"Arneson said no further action would be taken until the authority hires an attorney to ***replace Becky Convery***, the lawyer who helped forge the agreement with American Police Force."
http://billingsgazette.com/news/national/article_96df0ef5-a932-5400-a0cf-a1ffe3df8f97.html?mode=story

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October 6, 2009 7:08 PM    in reply to pqowieur

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) deserves some SERIOUS attention. Look at the connections!

http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showPerson.php?id=1415&name=Corrections-Corporation-of-America

Incorporated 1983, but their first detention center wasn't operational before. They also run the Shelby MT prison.

Since they're Cheney's buddies, if this is the parent company I'm not surprised Becky Shay felt confident taking a job with them.

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October 6, 2009 7:16 PM    in reply to The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker

Sorry, an edit: Their first detention center wasn't operational until 1984, which makes the company a match.

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October 6, 2009 5:58 PM   

Someone handed over the keys to a maximum security facility and didn't get a receipt?

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October 6, 2009 7:38 PM    in reply to Cujo359

Someone handed over the keys to a maximum security facility and didn't get a receipt?
================================================================

Well, it was empty wasn't it? Who's gonna break into a jail?

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October 6, 2009 8:05 PM   

"well..." Beck Shay vomits forth..."They locked me out of my office, never gave me a dime, the contracts voided, my boss is a crook and two thousand miles away but im still sitting on my ass making up stuff to do..alone...until the very last second I can ignore the fact that im a idiot and un employed. "

Becky Shay

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October 6, 2009 8:32 PM   

I thought she at least got to use one of the Mercedes SUVs.

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October 6, 2009 10:21 PM   

***********As Hardin Turns************

In the thick of a dark Montana night, American Police "Capt." Michale climbs in his leased Mercedes SUV heading south for California and his sept 27th date with a Orange County superior court judge, spoksperson Becky Shay sits in her cold empty prison office thinking what transpired in the last 48 hrs. She has seen her town hall cancel the very contract that brought about her position, no fewer then four high profile resignations from her company, Tree rivers imploding around her as looks around town for those other two SUVs that were her a miniute ago....all gone. No one even knows were the keys are, Beck must ask permission to enter the prison from general services. Its getting dark all around her as see runs out of answers for her even to go on. No job to do, no were to go, no were to hide from the national Media..shes forced to consider what see did. Did she see it clear in her mind to run with maniacle armened con men, putting her fellow towns people at risk for a chance ..just a chance at a 60,000 dollar pay day?

All thats sliped benith the Montana snow pack, alls that s left is the repo man slinking away with that company car leaving her "Hoofin it in Hardin."

I know we all wait for the inevitable slow motion train wreak coming down the Montana pike as sure as Custer bit the dirt. Poor Ms Shaw on camerabefore the world blubbers her resignation from a non entity American Police Force. Dont chew on a barrel Ms. Shaw just go on sitting in your hollow damp prison cell you call a desk and wait for capt Hilton to rescue you in his black Mercedes back to his palace. You can dream.

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October 7, 2009 2:39 AM   

Becky Shay hadn't lived in Hardin as of two weeks ago, but she may have gotten a place there in the interim.

She was working out of the jail because there was no other place for her. She doesn't work for the TRA (which had its offices in the jail until earlier this year), or the City of Hardin (which had its Attorney's office in the jail earlier this year).

APF did some "work" at the jail probably as a device to show it was "legitimate" or "serious" about its intent: It installed additonal security cameras when Hilton and his hired MB SUV drivers arrived last week. I don't know if the cameras worked or not. Dummy cameras are way cheaper than real ones.

The jail is not "maximum security," and could not be converted to such a custody level without enormous expense. It is minimum security. It is not a prison.

Any more questions?

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October 7, 2009 4:46 PM    in reply to Kropotkin

Is there something in the water up in Hardin? Its irrelivent where or when or who did anything about the jail deal. Thers no such thing as American Police Farce, Becky has no authority or a job for that mater. The Benz's are going back to the dealer, the jail will remain closed and most of Hardins officials are due in court soon after the AG , FBI and state police spooks are thrugh investigating this fraud.

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