Wednesday, March 24, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- The state prison in Jean might have to reopen to handle the increasing number of young criminals, the state Department of Corrections says.
A section of the High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs, about 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas, has been set aside for offenders who are under 22 years old, Corrections Director Jackie Crawford said. But, Crawford said, she may have to have a separate prison for this group because it is the fastest growing segment of the prison population.
Crawford told the state Prison Board on Tuesday that the young convicts coming into prison are convicted of gang-related crimes, and sex, violent or drug offenses. Methamphetamine is the "drug of choice" of these young offenders, she said. Some are coming into prison with a "serious addiction," she said.
"Jean may be the answer," Crawford said.
The prison in Jean, 25 miles south of Las Vegas, is currently being refurbished.
Gov. Kenny Guinn, chairman of the Prison Board, told Crawford to start thinking about the possible use of the Jean prison as she puts together her budget that must be delivered in September.
Crawford estimated that 500 of the 625 youthful inmates could be transferred and would get educational services and access to other programs geared toward their age group.
"The kids love school," she said. Some of them have never had the chance for education, and "it's a shame you have to go to prison to go to school," she said.
They would be separated from the more hardened youthful offenders, who would stay in the adult prison.
Crawford said she has started to designate prisons for specific offenders.
High Desert State Prison is now for "very tough" offenders. "They are very difficult to manage," she said.
Talking about security at High Desert, Crawford said, "We could hold King Kong if we have to."
On the other hand, the Southern Desert Correctional Center, also near Indian Springs, "is a softer institution and houses mostly those with less than 36 months to go on their sentence," she said.
At that prison, the focus is on therapeutic programs needed to prepare inmates for a return to the outside world, she said. There are 10,673 inmates in Nevada prisons, officials said. Glen Whorton, assistant director for operations, said those with low-level offenses are not being sent to prison "and robbers and murderers don't get probation."
The average cost to house an inmate is $43 per day. The state currently houses 350 inmates from Wyoming and Washington for which the state is paid $68 per day per inmate. Crawford said the state has netted $4 million in housing these out-of-state inmates. Nevada started housing prisoners from Wyoming beginning in December 2002 and started taking in Washington prisoners in May 2003.
Washington wanted to send another 600 inmates to Nevada, but the state did not have the prison space for them, Crawford said.
Fritz Schlottman, research analyst for the Corrections Department, told the board that a 400-inmate transitional housing unit in Clark County should be ready to open in February 2005.
Called Casa Grande, it would house low-level offenders and help them get jobs they would work until they are released.
No site has been disclosed for Casa Grande. But Crawford said she hoped to inform the prison board in May of a location. There would not be any violent or sex offenders housed at Casa Grande, where each inmate would be charged $14 a day for his room and board.
The inmate would be required to have a job within 30 days of being placed in the transitional housing unit.
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