Prisons director nixes telemarketing plan

Thursday, Aug. 20, 1998 | 11:28 a.m.

Even though there were a lot of protections and safeguards, I don't think it was in the best interest of the state of having this go to the Board of Examiners," he said.

The board was to have met a week from today to vote on a proposal to have 200 inmates at the Lovelock Correctional Center work as solicitors for a Las Vegas long-distance company.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, who sits on the board along with Gov. Bob Miller and Secretary of State Dean Heller, had announced her intention to vote against the proposal and to pursue legislation to ban the practice in the future.

Assemblyman Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas, is seeking a bill that would require telephone solicitors to identify themselves as inmates before launching into their sales pitches.

"A lot of people, myself included, would be concerned that an inmate might call and get personal information," Price said.

Bayer conceded that the plan was not explained very well.

"They would not have been calling anybody in Nevada," he said. "But it's important that the public maintain its confidence in the justice system."

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