BILLINGS - First, we took you behind bars in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility to see the types of weapons male inmates receive or sometimes create. Now we take a look inside the Montana Women's Prison. Although the men and women are placed in these facilities for similar reasons, their actions and habits behind bars tend to differ a bit.

To some it may seem a recipe for disaster, with hundreds of women locked in one place, how is it possible for all of them to get along? Well, they don't.

Montana Women's Prison officials say the attacks that happen behind these closed doors are similar to the ones on the streets, while men may use weapons women use verbal assaults.

"Women are not prone to using direct violence they're not raised that way, none of us were, and so a lot of it is I'll do things that hurt your feelings and make your life miserable," says MWP Warden, Jo Acton.

This makes supervision in the prison easier for guards, but life more difficult for the ladies.

"Frankly a lot of those cut a lot deeper and last a lot longer than an actual cut or a scrape," says MWP Deputy Warden, Bob Paul.

The manufacturing of weapons is rarely seen.

"They don't make tools," says Acton.

That's not saying physical assaults never happen.

"If they were going to use a weapon they'd grab a pencil or a pen," says Paul.
"We've seen more of an increase in women willing to fight, willing to attack each other than we did when I first came here," says Acton.

Another common altercation is a verbal assault turning physical.

"A lot of those emotional assaults that we see do at times have led to some self harm," says Paul.

Self-mutilation and self-harm also happens with men, but not as often. The difference here is the women speak up.

"If they feel someone is going to do self harm or someone is involved they're going to come to the staff very quickly its not one of those things gee I don't want to get involved, they have that concern," says Acton.

Deputy Warden Bob Paul says there are very few incidents with the women because their time behind bars is much different from the men.

"They're busy they have a lot of things to do."

Leaving very little time for boredom and getting into trouble.

MWP officials say women do have more access to items that could be used against fellow inmates, for example crochet hooks for quilting. But they say most women don't take advantage of what they're given because it could cause everyone to lose privileges.