Prison director may resign if cuts exceed 14 percent

By Cy Ryan

Published Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 | 11:45 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 | 4:48 p.m.

CARSON CITY – Corrections Director Howard Skolnik has told the state Prison Board he would quit if the future prisons budget is cut by more than 14 percent.

Earlier in the day a union of correctional officers has called for the resignation of Skolnik, saying morale is at an all-time low in the prisons and there is mismanagement.

At a 2 1/2 hour meeting of the board, Skolnik said, “We can cut 14 percent without jeopardizing staff and inmates.” But he said he “draw the line in the sand” at the 14 percent.

There’s been some speculation that the budget reductions may be more than 14 percent with the failing economy. The director said he would “not preside” over that large a cutback and indicated he would hand in his resignation.

But Skolnik said earlier he would not resign as requested by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union Local 4041 that said there was poor management by some of the Skolnik’s staff, putting guards and inmates at risk.

During the meeting there was testimony from prison correctional officers about the problems and the poor morale. And relatives of inmates also called for improvement in the prison system. There was testimony that the correctional officers and inmates may be at risk.

But the three prison board members backed Skolnik, at least initially.

Secretary of State Ross Miller, who presided as chairman of the board in the absence of Gov. Jim Gibbons, said he had confidence in Skolnik but there were “significant issues” that have to be resolved. He said he would evaluate the performance of Skolnik based on his handling of the challenges that meet the prison.

Gibbons, in Washington D.C. “has full faith in Howard Skolnik to lead the Department of Prisons,” said Gibbons’ press secretary Ben Kieckhefer.

He said the governor believes Skolnik has been “very responsive” to the concerns of the correctional officers. For instance, Skolnik, in a budget saving move, proposed eliminating shift differential pay but when there were complaints, he withdraw the suggestion.

“The governor believes he is doing it (the budget reductions) very responsibly,” Kieckhefer said. Gibbons is in Washington D.C. and not available.

Attorney General Catherine Masto, also a member of the prison board, said she had “no concerns” with the management of the corrections system by Skolnik. But at the meeting, she pressed the corrections director to be more aggressive in pushing for fund to operate the prison.

Masto said Skolnik has to make the decision where the inmates and staff are in danger because of lack of money. “I’m not hearing you that the 14 percent is the breaking point,” she told the corrections director.

Masto said the Legislature would look to Skolnik for leadership whether the 14 percent could be sliced from the budget. Skolnik replied, “We can cut 14 percent without jeopardizing the staff and inmates.”

But James Hardesty, a justice on the Nevada Supreme Court and chairman of a study on justice, told the committee the prisons were already overcrowded. They are at 146 over capacity and he said, “They are making cuts to an already underfunded system.”

Hardesty said, “You can’t operate at this capacity” and it’s a recipe for “very serious consequences” not only for the safety of the officers and inmates but “it exposes the state to serious legal consequences.”

The prison system, said Hardesty has spent $8.1 million in overtime and it would be less expensive to have more workers to reduce the overtime. For instance, he said the addition of 10 workers at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City would save $270,000 because it would cut overtime.

There’s no system, said Hardesty to prepare inmates for re-entry into society and there are “serious medical needs” for the more than 1,700 inmates who are 50 years old and older.

And he advocated releasing alien inmates to their country if they are not sex offenders or dangerous.

Dennis Mallory, director of the union, said correctional officers at the Nevada State Prison are being required to work 16 hours a day, including from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. when there is the most movement of the inmates.

Officers are tired and this can cause lapses in security, said Mallory.

In addition, he said the department has hired young people who are not certified as peace officers at the maximum security prison in Ely. He said if these “kids are left alone it could result in a dangerous situation.”

Mallory said union is gathering information to present to a grand jury of “blatant violations” of the law that are endangering the correctional officers and inmates.

Skolnik said he was “disappointed” that union members didn’t come to him with their concerns. He said he offered to include them in the proposed 14 percent cuts in the budget. “I guess this is how they responded.”

And he doubted the moral of the officers and executives are at an all-time low. These cutbacks are a national problem, not limited to Nevada he said.

Miller said prior to the meeting he was unhappy that inmates in Las Vegas were allowed to go out and seek voter registrations.

Skolnik told the board that those 59 inmates were hired by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform (ACORN) to register voters. That was a violation of the law and the director said the administration was “remiss” in not checking out what the inmates were to do.

He said the inmates housed at Casa Grande were immediately pulled off the job when the department learned of the activities. These prisoners were non-violent, were not sex offenders and only one was in prison for identity theft.

“There is no reason to believe there was any identity theft,” Skolnik said. The investigation is continuing.

The attorney general wanted to know if those who were signed up to vote by the prisoners have been notified. Skolnik said he had no way to know the names of those who were signed up.

The director said there are other state investigations going on into the incident.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or [email protected].