Youth prison, now state-run, to reopen today after 2 years

Jennifer Knight

Monday, Jan. 26, 2004 | 11:09 a.m.

A youth corrections facility where inmates staged a rooftop revolt two years ago when the place was privately run was expected to reopen today under state control, officials said.

Summit View Youth Correctional Center closed in March 2002 after numerous complaints about suicide attempts, escapes, unchecked drug use and sexual and physical abuse of inmates by guards. Those problems came to light after 20 inmates, fed up with the prison conditions, took to the rooftop of the facility and had a 90-minute standoff with police.

Now under the control of the state, Summit View will become a place where the young prisoners can be properly rehabilitated because the facility has better staff that is prepared to deal with their charges, newly appointed Summit View Superintendent Robert McLellan said.

"I believe that the decision to open Summit View under state control is the right decision," McLellan said. "We're confident that we are prepared to open this facility and have addressed everything that we can at this point."

The 96-bed facility is the last stop for chronic offenders between ages 12 and 20. The facility on Range Road north of Nellis Air Force Base will be at full capacity by the end of the year, McLellan said.

The facility, which has four wings, will only open one wing today and take 24 inmates. McLellan said Summit View will hire more staff and bring in new inmates in phases.

Those coming to Summit View today will not be segregated by age or severity of crime until later this year, which one youth corrections expert said could be a recipe for disaster.

"The lack of a classification system could be a serious problem," said Percy Pitzer, a former warden who worked for a private youth corrections agency and for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. "If it were me, I would have a classification system in place right away, even if it was temporary."

The worry is that violent inmates or sexual offenders will be in the same living quarters as those who are there on drug offenses, Pitzer said.

"What kind of plan is in place when you get a person who you have interviewed and you find is weak or semi-retarded, to make sure he is safe?" Pitzer asked. "I have very little doubt how it will turn out."

But Kirby Burgess, director of the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services, said the inmates coming to Summit View have been given psychological evaluations and assessments according to criminal history.

"Although there will be a mixed bag in terms of offenses, they should know what they are getting and should be able to get a handle on it," Burgess said. "Certainly the faster they move toward a classification system, the better off they'll be in the long run."

Burgess said he is confident the state will run the facility much better than it was run by the private company, YCI.

According to a Sun investigation in September 2001, YCI allowed lapses in security that resulted in at least five known escapes. Poor supervision resulted in a number of suicide attempts and lax adherence to state prison staffing standards resulted in female guards being left to supervise male inmates alone. Two female guards were later charged with having sex with prisoners.

YCI walked away from its $4.3 million-a-year contract with the state after being fined for the poor performance.

The state will now operate the facility with a $3.9 million budget, which will provide better staffing, trained experts and more programs for youths.

McLellan said Summit View has been outfitted with special mesh wiring to prevent escapes, and procedures for transferring inmates from one part of the facility to the other have been tightened.

The facility will also offer addiction classes, group and individual therapy and access to a licensed medical doctor and psychiatrist.

Guards have been through a 160-day intensive training course that included role-playing scenarios, suicide prevention and gang awareness, McLellan said.

"We're building the foundation for an institutional culture among staff that will breed integrity and professionalism," McLellan said. "You can't force a youth to make changes, but we will provide them with the tools to make positive changes."