Sanders County commissioners accepted a $141,500 grant from the Montana Opioid Abatement program last week for a new body scanner in the county jail.  

The body scanner, which is similar to those at security checks in airports, was recommended to the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office during a peer review in March 2024. The Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and the office’s insurance company recommended investing in a body scanner as an alternative to invasive strip searches.  

Advisers from these groups said strip searches increase the risk of litigation.  

“A body scanner is cheaper than a lawsuit,” Sheriff Shawn Fielders told the Inter Lake.  

The county applied for the grant in March 2025 and accepted funding on Jan. 5. However, the roughly 54-square-foot body scanner is too large to fit through any of the jail doorways.  

Officials plan to remedy this issue by building a new sallyport, which is a secure, two-door garage where inmates are brought in. Undersheriff Jerry Johnson said the new body scanner is not only less invasive, but more efficient at detecting hidden contraband.  

Approximately $125,000 was set aside by the county for the construction project, but officials won’t know the official price tag until bids go out for contractors this spring.  

Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].