Guinn keeps options open for youth prison

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today the refusal by the Legislative Interim Finance Committee to allow the state to run the Summit View juvenile detention center in Las Vegas creates a number of problems.

"There are all kinds of things the IFC doesn't think about," Guinn said. "They just give directions."

The legislative committee turned down a plan last week to allow the state to take over the center in Las Vegas, now operated by a private firm that wants to leave by March 1.

The committee, with Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, leading the drive, suggested the juveniles be sent out of state to other facilities or another private firm be hired to succeed Correctional Services Corp., which ran into problems operating the center that opened last year.

There were security lapses which led to attempted escapes and female staff members had sexual relations with the teenaged inmates. Correctional Services Corp. complained the state never put enough inmates at the center to make it profitable.

State Human Resources Director Mike Willden has said the facility may have to be closed for a while to develop a new plan.

Guinn is meeting Friday with his staff to look at the different options. "They may come up with a mixture," the governor said, referring to a combined state-private operation. And a decision should be made by next week, he said.

In talking about finding another private contractor, Guinn said, "You can't go out and hire somebody in 60 days. It takes 60 days to go through the process under state law."

And when the firm is hired, Guinn said it must be allowed a number of weeks to line up contracts for food service, medical care and other things.

The state is presently going through the records of the inmates now to see which ones are eligible for parole in January and can be released. And he said he doesn't want to disturb the education of some inmates.

The school semester is over in January. "You can't send them out of state when they are ready to finish in January," he said.

The center for violent offenders was approved by the Legislature before he was elected, Guinn said. "If they didn't want to keep the kids at home, why did they spend $14 million?" he questioned, referring to suggestions that the inmates again be transferred to out of state detention facilities.

Legislators said it would be cheaper to put the youngsters in privately operated centers than for the state to take it over. The cost of a state-operated facility was $155 per day per inmate compared to $113 to send serious delinquents out of state, which was the approach before the new facility was built.