The Two Rivers Detention Facility in Hardin is still making national headlines as Sunday's CBS Evening News featured the controversial multi-million dollar jail that has sat empty since it was built.

The jail sits on 40 acres of land on the eastern edge of Hardin, guarded by thousands of feet of razor wire. Yet all it's holding in are 464 empty beds.

"It was a win, win situation as far as we were concerned" said Hardin Mayor Ron Adams. "(But) it's turned to lose, lose because we've never gotten anybody in here!

The $27 million dollar detention facility was built to handle Montana's growing prison population and also promised to bring more than 200 jobs to hard hit Hardin, which is one of the poorest places in Montana.

By the time the prison was ready to open, the state no longer wanted it and for  two years Hardin has been stuck with a highly secure white elephant.

Prison jumpsuits are neatly stacked and never worn, the kitchen has never made a meal and the entire place is filled with an eery silence.

"We've been sittin empty so long that we gotta take a shot at everything" commented Hardin Public Work Director Larry Vandersloot. "We gotta look at everything to get this facility filled."

So they looked south, all the way to Cuba and towards some of America's most problematic prisoners.

But, President Obama has yet to decide where the Guantanamo detainees will go and the folks in Hardin say "bring 'em on".

"If the president says you know we're gonna bring them on American soil, why not Hardin, Montana?" asked Two Rivers Authority Vice President Al Peterson.

The Hardin City Council unanimously backed the idea and some in town figured Big Sky country was just where these inmates belonged. But, Montana's Congressional Delegation is opposed and the prison remains empty.

Hardin desperately needed the jobs the prison would have created and now hopes for revitalizing the town are fading, as the prison remains empty.

- Ben Tracy CBS News