Director: No plans to close aging Nevada State Prison

By Cy Ryan

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | 2:43 p.m.

CARSON CITY – There are no immediate plans to close the aging Nevada State Prison in Carson City, the director of the state Department of Corrections says.

There are about 750 inmates at the prison and senior staff of Gov. Jim Gibbons said it is looking at closing the facility. Gibbons suggested its closure, but the Legislature in 2009 rejected his plan.

It’s more expensive to operate the prison than other prisons, and corrections department director Howard Skolnik said “It is not as safe as some of the new facilities.” That’s because of the design of the prison, he said. The staff, he said, was operating it as best it could under the design flaws.

It costs $4,000 to $6,000 more per inmate per year to operate the prison, Skolnik said. But he added, "There are no immediate plans to close the prison tomorrow."

The Legislature in 1862 purchased the Warm Springs Hotel and 20 acres for $80,000 and converted it into a prison in Carson City. It is one of the oldest in the nation.

Starting July 1, prisons will have staffs on furlough for one day a month. Skolnik said he was already short staffed, adding that it’s possible he will move staff and inmates between prisons.

Gibbons could declare an emergency and close the prison, according to legislative legal sources, but he would have to seek approval from the Legislative Interim Finance Committee if he wanted to move funds around.

Some legislators see a battle brewing with Gibbons since lawmakers refused his suggestion in 2009 to close the Nevada State Prison.

There are plans to move the industrial plants that do printing and make vehicle license plates at the Nevada State Prison at an adjacent facility. Brian Connett, deputy director overseeing the prison industry plan, said it would take $100,000 to build a fence and walkway for prisoners to get to the new location.

There is $120,000 sitting in a construction program. The Legislature at its special session took $948,000 from the fund, Connett told the Legislative Committee on Industrial Programs.

Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, the chairman of the committee, asked about the chances of the Legislature restoring the money. Connett replied, “Once the money is taken, it’s gone.”