Editorial: Revive state prison board

Monday, Aug. 13, 2007 | 7:11 a.m.

N evada's prison system continues to face severe overcrowding despite the steps taken by the 2007 Legislature. Secretary of State Ross Miller, sensing the near-crisis that is fast approaching, last week called on Gov. Jim Gibbons to revive the Board of State Prison Commissioners.

This is a board that state law empowers with total control over Nevada's 10 prisons. Yet in recent years it has met infrequently, a surprise considering the financial burden that continued overcrowding has placed on the state budget. The board's last meeting was July 11, 2006.

Membership on the board is limited by law to the governor, the attorney general and the secretary of state. With just three members, the board should be able to meet regularly and cooperate on a nonpartisan plan extending through the next decade.

Without a long-term plan, the 2007 Legislature was forced to approve a desperation bill. Under the bill, which took effect July 1, rules for releasing nonviolent offenders were relaxed. Already the sentences of more than 2,300 parolees and probationers have ended early, and as many as 1,200 prison inmates are scheduled for early release over the next few weeks.

Judges are not happy with this arrangement, as many offenders were freed before serving their community service and now there will be no leverage over them to pay court-ordered restitution to their victims.

Also, the Legislature approved a plan to borrow $200 million for prison construction. Borrowing, however, is short-term folly. If the Board of Prisons had been meeting regularly, at least there could have been discussions about having the growing needs of the prison system met through taxation. That way, state taxpayers would not be obligated to pay twice for prisons, once with the capital borrowed and again to meet the interest payments.

As the prison population is projected to grow from about 13,000 now to nearly 20,000 by 2015, we hope Miller's call provides the stimulus for regular meetings of the Board of State Prison Commissioners. Gibbons has said he wants to spend $1.2 billion over the next 10 years on the prison system. These board meetings would be the ideal forum for providing the details.