Gitmo North? Bring it On.

In 2004, the state of Montana was faced with overcrowded prisons. With the endorsement of our then governor, Judy Martz, the Two Rivers Authority, the -economic--development arm of the town of Hardin, began building a prison. We had hoped Two Rivers Detention Center would create jobs, helping to stop the economic spiral that was crippling this town of 3,400. But after our current governor, Brian Schweitzer, was elected, he decided the prison wasn't needed, even though a month ago the state's own consultant disagreed. Three years after we broke ground, it's still empty.

In January, when President Obama announced that he was going to close Guantánamo Bay, several folks in Hardin asked me a question: why not bring those prisoners here? I thought it was brilliant. Our city council voted unanimously to approve the measure.

But when the news got out, it created an uproar. Montana's senators and congressional leaders refused to support the measure. But we also received many e-mails thanking us for our courage. The town's response has been mixed—who wouldn't be nervous about accused terrorists living next door?—but most of the people I talk to agree with the council's decision. They understand what I do: when you're at the bottom, there is nowhere else to go. Hardin is one of the poorest towns in Montana. Businesses are struggling. Work is scarce. Filling our prison would create desperately needed jobs for 200 to 300 people. Some worry about detainees escaping, but Hardin's prison is state of the art and highly secure. No terrorists housed in other U.S. prisons (such as the facility in Florence, Colo., where there are seven) have escaped.

Bringing suspected terrorists to Hardin may not be the most palatable option, but right now it's the only one we have. We are in a situation that demands compromise. Hardin spent $27 million to build the prison; now the town's bonds are in default. Our economic--development office sent requests for inmates to every state in the Union after a court granted us permission, but so far we haven't had any luck. The town's business community is committed to exploring every last possibility to get the prison up and running. Obama has set a deadline of January 2010 for the relocation of -detainees—which means they are definitely headed somewhere. Why not Hardin?

Smith is the Executive Director of the Two Rivers Authority.

© 2009