Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumblePrison chief: 7 staff members accused of felonies
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 | 3:31 p.m.
CARSON CITY – Inmates in the Nevada state prison system aren’t the only ones who have had brushes with the law.
There have been seven felony arrests of prison staff in recent months. One of the officers was charged with armed robbery and attempted assault on a law enforcement officer. That alleged offense occurred in Nye County.
Howard Skolnik, director of the state Department of Corrections, said he has a “serious problem” in Clark County where 29 correctional officers have been terminated. He said these were both probation and full-time officers.
“There’s 180,000 hours worth of training going out the window,” Skolnik told a Thursday meeting of the Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice. “There are weaknesses in doing our background checks."
The commission, at its first meeting since the Legislature, elected Assemblyman William Horne, D-Las Vegas, as chairman succeeding Chief Justice James Hardesty. Horne said one of the priorities of the commission this time will be victims’ rights.
The commission re-elected Attorney General Catherine Masto as chairwoman of the subcommittee on victims of crime, and Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, as selected chairman of the subcommittee on Juvenile Justice.
Skolnik told the commission there was a “pattern” of inmates who are released from the prison in Susanville, Calif., ending up in Reno. He said some of those freed from prison in Los Angeles will travel to Las Vegas.
“I suspect they will have an impact on us,” he said.
But Bernard Curtis, chief of the state Division of Parole and Probation, said Nevada transports several hundred more out of state than Nevada receives from other states.
Skolnik told the commission that the prison system is about 300 inmates below what was budgeted.
He said he hopes to know within 90 days about plans to lease the closed-down Southern Nevada Correctional Center in Clark County to a firm called Geo for $2.5 million a year.
He said Geo wants to do some cosmetic and upgrades but he wants to make sure the state can take back the prison within 180 days if there is a major increase in the number of inmates.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Chinese company agrees to finance proposed Henderson arena
- South Point owner Michael Gaughan’s take on ‘Vegas Stripped’: ‘I’ll give it an 8’
- Romney says he prevented Massachusetts from becoming ‘the Las Vegas of gay marriage’
- Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags
- See mug shots of 16 arrested in stolen-property police sting
- UNLV eager to get on the court for big game against San Diego State
- Criss Angel denies allegations of fight with fired employee
- Lumberjacks — ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ — hiring for North Las Vegas location
- Berkley draws stark contrasts with Heller over immigration
- Conceptual design unveiled for Henderson Space and Science Center
Blogs
The Kats Report
Live color from the scene at Thomas & Mack Center as UNLV takes on San Diego State
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (3 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
What a mess......suggestions? input anyone?
You need to screen those officers much better starting on day one: You just can't hire anybody.
Take a look at their pay rate, and ask who would even apply. Corrections Officers for the most part, are misfits anyway. Who would want such a job?
First off, you have to understand "the type" that get's hired for these prison guard positions, and why. Have you ever SEEN a group of prison guards? Secondly, you would have to spend some time, not "time" but "visit" a prison generally and one in Nevada in particular to get any understanding of the scope of what the heck happens inside. Most folks don't have a clue, and why would they? Can you say "HELLHOLE"?
I know, that's what alot of Nevadans want for their prison system, but who in their right mind would want to WORK there?
Certain salaries in Las Vegas, Clark County, and the state of Nevada seem out of line with what one would think appropriate. But until YOU PERSONALLY have taken a crack at the work, or tried to hire GOOD PERSONNEL into these positions, I would suggest you don't have the proper perspective to judge.
Serious is an idiot of course. That we can all agree on.
Character or the lack of it seems to be a big problem with all the misfits that were mistakenly hired by our Corrections Dept.
Hiring managers and their staff need to review whatever procedures are in place to make such determinations so they can find the problem and fix it.
mywallet700 - Ones sexuality doesn't dictate their qualification in a particular position. Imagine all the closeted bosses you had. You say no problem with his lifestyle but turn right around and second question it due to his lifestyle - people like you crack me up -- stick to the contents of the article for heavens sakes, not ones lifestyle - you're so funny... But extremely tacky comment.
If you want employees who are professional you must train them like professionals, pay them like professionals & treat them like professionals. This is not a problem isolated to Nevada, it is a nationwide blackeye.
I heard the local hate talk radio person say: "have gladiator gang fights on pay per view to raise money and harvest the organs of the losers (except the livers)"
I think we should follow the European model where their is less recidivism.
The way I see it, as long as Parks does his job and doesn't violate any laws, there is no issue.
I have confidence he will be professional in his endeavor.
HERE WHAT'S REALLY SAD ABOUT THIS STORY, THOUGH:
"..."There's 180,000 hours worth of training going out the window," Skolnik told a Thursday meeting of the Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice. "There are weaknesses in doing our background checks."..."
Whew wheeee, that's a chunk of change no matter how you cut it. Gotta be a couple or three million bucks, at least. Wasted money. Absolutely wasted.
WHERE'S THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON CORRECTION OFFICERS STANDARDS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS...?
Not a peep.
AND ALL OF THAT COMES OUT OF MY TAX MONEY.
Metro can not hire all of them...
What does this have to do with background checks? Of course they do background checks before hiring these misfits. Skolnik is trying to make it look like it is just a couple of kooks who slipped through the cracks when in reality it is a system-wide problem of corruption, starting with Skolnik.
Not ALL CO's are misfits-those few dirtbags who slip thru the cracks and are hired are the ones who give CO's a bad name. Not counting the fact that Warden Baca AND Skolnick are idiots and couldn't manage a Walmart. They are inconsistent, rules change weekly, and for many young CO's it's a step toward being a cop as many leave for law enforcement jobs. My husband has been a CO for 10 yrs. It's frustrating to hear these stories but most CO's don't follow the rules, it's dangerous and I guarantee someone is going to get seriously hurt and soon. Inmate atmosphere is not good. No respect by management to staff. Inconsistent policies lead to confusion and anger by staff. Skolnick needs to go and Baca definitely needs to go. Maybe if there were people running the prison who knew what they were doing, these mutants wouldn't get past the applicant stage. I tell my husband daily that if he EVER gets injured on the job, I'll be suing the State and everyone else for putting him in danger by not insisting that CO's and other management staff follow their own rules. Stop criticizing the person and criticize the management because that is where the problem is first, then go down the line to staff problems. I'm totally sick of hearing people like all of you label and name call when you haven't a clue what you're talking about. I suggest YOU be a CO for a week - you'd run for the hills!!
It won't matter THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN close to 50% of prisoners will return to prision in the first 2 years of being released. We spend 4 times as much to keep a person in prison than it takes to put a child through one year of school. The money a CO can make just bring in tobacco he can make twice as much in a year than his pay. You do the math with this economy. What you going to do build more prisons to breed better criminals.
I would not be a c/o for a week. I would flip burgers or pick grapes or cut off my own limbs first.
To All concerned:
Some of these comments are right on! Others not so much.
First: To be a correctional Guard means you need psychiatric help. Nothing short of a very sick parasite would place himself/herself in a prison setting 8 to 12 hours on a daily basis.
Second: For this sick and weak person who needs a uniform to become an authoritative figure, who commands complete respect from people who can out think him/her at very turn, is a person who in need of his mommy. The correctional guards thinking is on the level of a first grader, and their thought process is that of an imbecile, following the idiotic rules of their administrative leaders.
Third: Most, if not all prison administrators, are in need of a good ass whipping--for their abusive restrictions on prisoners. Yeah, I know you think that's wrong, but go to some of the prison commissioner's meeting, and witness first hand the intellect of these leaders. Your children would puke on this wisdom!
Forth: Treatment by these intellectually deprived guards is what is taken to the outside when these prisoners are released. Why should that matter? It is you, the tax payer/citizen, that takes the hits of these men/women after release. The guard is still protected by other fools in their little prison womb. You are not! Maybe as a citizen you should remember that?
Lastly, as a comment of good standing: "Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall of one of the homes where these pathetic guards live--and witness the conversations with their families at dinner time"? It must be hysterical.
Yeah, Honey, I told this really tough guy that I run this place and you'll do whatever I tell you to do. And, after he complied, he cried like a baby--when me and my buddies beat him with our sticks and blasted him with mace. "WE" really showed this guy. You should have been there. I'd have shown you and the kids how to run a prison. And, when it was over "WE" wrote him a infraction violation, which should get him about a year in the hole. Yeah, I'm good.
And, as a personal comment, he is as good as my male pit bull that breeds his own pups!
Sorry, I have to come back and point out the interesting comments made by the Director of Prisons. Who fails to mention that he is the responsible person who sets the policy on hiring new personnel. Shouldn't he be taking the responsibility for these failed 180,000 hours of correctional training. After all, he is the paid person on this job. In fact, $130,000.00 a year. And, as taxpayers, we, the citizens, are the payee of this failure of a man to do his job. Did I miss the point?
Now, we have the newly elected legislative chairperson, by others on the Advisory Committee, who states for all to hear this committee will only concern themselves on victims rights. Has this near sighted legislative parasite, my opinion, ever considered the word "JUSTICE"?
Why doesn't this state ever consider justice as a worthy word--when it comes to Nevada's judicial system. Nevada has many innocent persons in their prison system. If, you don't know this to be true, you shouldn't be reading this article.
Nevada's Attorney General, who represents all Nevadan's, but not really. Is a disgrace to the word justice, again--my opinion, as she also chairs some committee on Victims Rights. Think this might be a conflict of interest?
Nevada's bums have found a real place to collect their salaries--and condemn many innocent people to a life of incarceration and slavery, all in the name of safety for Nevadan's citizens. And, if you believe that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn. Nevada's prison system is nothing but job security for prison administrators and guards--all at the taxpayer's expense.
As a question: "Do you readers think it is just a joke that the OATH KEEPER'S have chartered up"? If, you are not familiar with this group of military and police seekers of Justice--you need to investigate them, and learn for yourselves what they are all about. Only you make the difference.
As a last comment on the prison commissioner's and the treatment of Nevada prisoners--listen to this: Nevada Prisoner's are fed on a daily diet of $1.27 a day. That is all inclusive for three meals. In some prisons in Nevada that is daily sack meals. And, locked down 24/7 for years. However, the feeding of the horses in this prison setting is $2.50 daily.
Still proud of your Nevada Prison System and their treatment of Nevada's prisoners? Someday, these men and women will be, once again, your salesmen, your landscapers, your car washers. your builders, your garage mechanics, your painters and your neighbors. Next time one of these men, or women, smash your face in--or kill your son or daughter, remember this is the type treatment he or she received while in prison and learned by example from our Nevada administrators and guards.
Maybe, it is time to rid ourselves of these pathetic parasites, and start over in our hiring process of decent human beings, who have a clear understanding of what is needed to correct human behavior--properly!
To All Concerned:
Just for a minute, let's consider the guards at Lovelock State Prison, who have been conducting themselves in a disgraceful manner--by demanding prisoners place, in other prisoner's cells, contraband and knives--so said guards could find and charge said prisoners for this phony crime. This "alleged crime" could cost this prisoner years in the hole, or a lost parole date, or even a new sentence by a court.
This is what we pay our prison administrators to supervise. These guards are felons, and they act as felons. They need to be in a cell as well as some of Nevada's other prisoners. In fact, I'm going to help these felon guards get that needed cell.
I have made aware the prison administrators of this behavior. I succeeded in only getting the prisoners involved, who refused to participate in this felony behavior, transferred to another state institution, and placed in the hole for 60 days. At my constant nagging about disgraceful behavior by administrators, the men were transferred back to Lovelock--exonerated of any wrong doing, but the guards were not sanctioned. They are prancing around as though they are exempted from wrong doing.
I couldn't get an article in the news papers or the TV stations of this felony behavior, but maybe this comment will help get it out that there is a cover up at our prisons--at the highest level.
For the record: I finally went to the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney General and the FBI. I have an appointment with the FBI on Monday for the filing of a complaint on these guards and the administrators. It will be filed under Public Corruption. What I couldn't get the Nevada Prison System to clean up--the Federal Government will do for them, and possibly, charge the prison administrators, too.
The point here is this: Nevada Prison Administrators piss off other parents--and let's rock! All of us will not place our heads under your feet.
Shame on our Nevada's News Media for being so cowardly in helping to stop the felony behavior of our parasitic guards and prison administrators, by ducking this issue. Has the State of Nevada paid for your silence? Just asking? I know how it appears to me!
Let's look at the facts and numbers here.
180,000 hours of training for 29 people? Do the math, that's 6,207 hours per person. Either Skolnik has the numbers wrong, or these guards train for almost 3 years (normal work hours per year=2080).
If the NDOC is 300 prisoners less than budgeted, that equates to $7,500,000 (300 prisoners x the average cost of 25K per year to incarcerate). By the way 300 prisoners is 2.3 percent of the current prison population of 13,000.
Doesn't anyone but me wonder where that 7.5 million in savings is? Why the guards can't take furlough days? Why Skolnik says we need to rent out Jean prison?
In another article Skolnik said "(Skolnik said) he could generate $578,732 by charging rent for the canteens within the system and another $218,120 by charging the inmate trust account for use of the gymnasiums. The inmate fund, he said, can cover those costs.
So he's going to charge the inmate trust account fund which is supposed to go for services to the indigent and fund the law libraries etc... in the prisons, to pay for rental of the gymnasium? What a crock. Where is the 7.5 MILLION that has been saved?
About a year ago there was an escape attempt at Ely State Prison and the alleged attempted escapees were caught on a roof with: camouflage clothing, a telescope, an ax, leather gloves. I never heard a word about any arrests or even if the prisoners were ever charged with this. My guess is they swept it under the rug because the administration of ESP and NDOC loves to blame visitors for any problem that happens in their prisons.
Geezelouise... Yes, the numbers don't compute, but the board doesn't investigate whether the prison director is accurate or not, just accepts his word.
Spartacus... Yes, parents of prisoners need to get together and make the state accountable for lack of food... and clothing for prisoners.
Isn't it illegal to take money from the inmate welfare fund to use for other purposes? Robbery from hungry prisoners? Where does the director think that the prisoners will get gym fees from? He provides no work for them and does not care about them.
Canteen prices are, obscene, to say the least... robbery from parents, actually, the only source of money, basically for prisoners. They cannot live on the air, putrid air in cells, too, and come out healthy, productive citizens.
It's all messed up. Get the feds in here and maybe positive change has a chance. Otherwise, the status quo will continue and tax dollars wasted.
Spartacus... one prisoner from The Lovelock Six incident is still in Ely. He refused to be a snitch for a Lovelock guard. In the end, he will prevail because he stood up for what is right.
In the end, there are, of course, also decent, law abiding guards in every prison who care and are loyal to the law. But there are bad ass guards, too, who abuse Nevada prisoners without sanctions.
This drama continues because of lack of oversight... and general mismanagement, imho.
To Any Concerned:
There have been some very good comments here in the last day or so. Maybe our prison commissioners should open their polluted eyes and see the abuses going on. Surely, everyone can see Director of Prisons, Howard Skolnut, cannot count, yet his word is taken as valid at every meeting before the prison commissioners, because obviously--they also cannot count, but they sure know how to spend our tax dollars with ignorance and stupidity.
Ever wonder why Nevada got to such a sorry state of affairs? Maybe our leaders like the prison commissioners had something to do with it. These intellectual giants are in a class by themselves--ALL STUPID. But then, as citizen's we elected them. Care to do it again?
However, back to Mr. Skolnut: This man is a corrupted fool,my opinion, and our prison commissioners are afraid if they challenge this director--they might have to come up with an idea for prison confinement that may actually work. God knows, we, Nevada citizens, don't want to tax our mentally challenged prison commissioners into doing something meaningful. The State couldn't stand the shock.
Just who are our prison commissioners? Governor Jim Gibbons, Secretary of State, Ross Miller, and our attorney general, Catherine Cortez Mastos. Now, here is a group of parasites that need watching, because they are not watching out for Nevada's taxpayers. Yeah Folks, that's you and me!
Don't we all feel blessed to have such wonderful watchdogs looking out for our best interests?
Let me be very plain. I'm no bleeding heart liberal, there are prisoners in our prisons that should never see a free day, but not all. That small percentage is along the lines of 3% to 5% of our prisoners. To continue using this small number to justify this job security prison act by prison directors--is unconscionable. Why, as citizen's, do we continue to allow this stupidity?
Folks! you might want to think about that for a minute...it is your tax dollars going into someone's pocket, but not your pocket, or for your best interests.
Have a nice day.
ATTENTION: ALL NEVADAN'S:
At 9:30AM I received a phone call from Lovelock State Prison--from a prisoner. He had just witnessed a prison guard, One Officer, Travis Bennett, take pages of a federal complaint form from a prisoner that this prisoner was reviewing to make certain all the criteria for his complaint was accurate, before filing his complaint. In addition, Guard moron was telling another guard to write this prisoner up for a violation of some newly invented prison rule. Don't ya just love it? Insanity, at its best.
This Department of Justice Complaint Form is the one the Federal Government sends to prisoners, who have problems with guards and administrators that abuse them, such as demanding the prisoner's place contraband and knives into cells of other prisoners.
This isn't something the Lovelock Prison Administrators, and Prison Commander's, are not aware of this guard's continuing felony actions--they just close their eyes and let this fool continue on his way.
Why would a prison setting be so callous and uninterested in seeing one of their finest moron's stop his criminal behavior? Maybe, they are permitting this guard to start some type of rebellion at the prison level--to show the Nevada public the need for extra guards and overtime. Ya think?
Nevada news media--you don't see an expose here yet of felony criminal behavior? With a definite cover up at the administrative prison level? Man, you guys are really asleep or paid to look the other way. You need to apply for the job of prison commissioners. Your overview seems to be about the same: "BLIND AND CORRUPTED".
That's my opinion--live with it.
Have a nice day!
The Department of Justice needs to investigate these Nevada Prisons, and it needs to be done soon. There is a critical lack of oversight and accountability, that, in the end, comes directly out of our pockets. The worst criminals are running the prisons, and Spartacus is right - about 3-5% of prisoners should never get out, they are sociopaths, but it is a very small percentage. Skolnik, McDaniel, Gibbons, Cortez-Masto love to make people think they are guarding the "worst of the worst" when the worst of the worst are in the administrative offices of NDOC.
xie:
Well said and well done! Truth kills politicians and public parasites.
Question: "Really, is there a difference?"
The biggest joke here on the Nevada paying public is this: "Director of Prisons, Howard Skolnut, is an appointee to this position--not elected, yet makes law in the Nevada Prisons"?
Are we crazy as taxpayers to let this absurd behavior continue by our elected officials?
It is time to put these paid political morons to the street and start over with the mentally challenged of Nevada's homeless. They certainly couldn't do any worse.
For the record:
I have just left the offices of the FBI and filed my complaint against Lovelock State Prison for the actions of their criminal guards, by threatening prisoners with the hole, if they didn't place contraband and/or knives--into cells of other prisoners.
The institution, the warden, the associate wardens, and some guards at Lovelock State Prison, all were notified about this criminal bahavior of their guards, but nothing. I really shouldn't forget to say: The Governor and the Prison Commissioners were all notified in a public meeting. Does cover up have any meaning to you guys in the taxpaying public?
It is our taxpayer's money that condones this type behavior, and without exception of most of Nevada's public servants--which are mostly morons and idiotic. I know the Governor and the Prison Commissioners fall in that category. My opinion, of course!
Have a nice day Nevada...