Report urges new direction for state prison system

Wednesday, May 29, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada spends too much time handling hard-core criminals in prison and should pay more attention to getting less dangerous inmates ready for release, according to a report released Tuesday.

"Nevada has succeeded at preserving public safety by keeping convicted offenders off the streets," the report by the Governor's Study Committee on Corrections stated. "Unfortunately, the Nevada Department of Corrections has not had a well-defined departmental mission to promote offender rehabilitation or self change."

By changing the emphasis, the committee said $26.5 million could be saved on construction costs alone.

The committee has been meeting for six months under the direction of Jackie Crawford, director of the Corrections Department, who has recommended the state put more efforts into rehabilitation.

The draft report said Nevada classifies twice as many inmates as high and medium security than the national average. It needs to balance its classification system, "placing proper emphasis on low-medium and minimum security."

The public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft report June 7 at a meeting to be videoconferenced between Carson City and Las Vegas.

The study committee recommended the state delay further "hard bed" construction at the High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs. A portion of that money could rebuild Indian Springs Camp from a 200-bed facility to a 604-bed community work center with education and programming services, according to the report.

Another $4 million would rehabilitate the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City and establish a geriatric facility. With nearly 300 inmates over the age of 60 and prison sentences being longer, the department needs to accommodate the elderly, the report said.

"The risk to public safety is greater and high recidivism results when offenders are released from prison without re-entry planning, transitional services and community support," the committee found.

The state released 4,192 offenders last year, with 39 percent finishing their sentences. More than 20 percent left prison without having saved any money and received only a small amount from the state to get home.

"Thus, it is not surprising that 26 percent of the Department of Correction's annual inmates consist of parole violators returning to custody," the committee stated.

National studies have shown good programs can reduce the recidivism rate by 30 percent, the committee said. There are other studies that show children of offenders are five times more likely to go to prison than other children, and that families of offenders end up on welfare.

The committee recommended forming a partnership with a nonprofit organization to build a re-entry center in Southern Nevada with transitional housing for offenders leaving prison, pregnant offenders and those serving intermediate sanctions.

It was estimated this would save $3 million a year in operating costs. The study concluded work opportunities for inmates should be greatly expanded. It suggested some of the existing forestry work camps should be expanded and others should be consolidated.

The committee recommended the establishment of more re-entry courts for all offenders, not just drug users, and that they should be patterned after the drug courts in Las Vegas and Reno.