Hardin lies in the southeastern part of Montana known as Big Sky Country and is home to about 3,400 residents. Two years ago the city completed construction of a US$27 million prison, hoping it would create badly needed jobs and boost the local economy.
The facility built to hold 464 inmates has not seen a single prisoner since, mainly because of a dispute between Hardin and the Montana state government.
But Obama’s announcement to close Guantanamo within a year brought new hope. Hardin’s officials offered use of the prison for housing detainees remaining at Guantanamo until they could be transferred or tried.
So far, though, the offer has fallen on deaf ears. The city’s director of economic development, Greg Smith, said that Hardin has not heard back from the federal government.
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