Editorial: An earlier takeover?

Monday, June 21, 2004 | 9 a.m.

For its entire seven-year history, the women's prison in North Las Vegas has been managed by a private company. And for all of that time, the prison's management has been going downhill. The state made the right decision last week to end its failed experiment with private prison management and run the facility itself.

The contract of the private firm, Corrections Corp. of America, ends Sept. 30 and the state will take over the next day. We're wondering if that's soon enough. Two Nevada assemblywomen, Vonne Chowning and Chris Giunchigliani, recently toured the prison and reported that rehabilitation has "come to a screeching halt" and that medical care is "almost non-existent." This news is consistent with other privatization attempts -- the state had to take over Summit View Youth Correctional Center when its private management firm failed, and it also had to take back medical care at the maximum-security prison in Ely when a private firm washed out.

The state made the right move in rejecting proposals from three other private firms to run the women's prison come Oct. 1. But given the deteriorating condition of the prison, and given the state's liability no matter who is managing it, the state should consider buying out CCA's contract and taking over much earlier than Oct. 1.