Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Feds reduce reimbursement for housing jailed illegal immigrants

Sun Coverage

CARSON CITY – The federal government is reducing its payment to Nevada for the cost of imprisonment of illegal immigrants.

In response, the state Department of Corrections is asking the Legislature for just less than $1 million to help it get through the fiscal year. About 1,000 of the 12,000 inmates in the state's prison system are in the country illegally and most are medium security risk offenders who can’t be released.

Jeff Muhlenkamp, deputy director of the Corrections Department, told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that the cost of housing each illegal immigrant is about $22,000 a year, and the federal government covers about 10-15 percent.

It’s the same in other states, Muhlenkamp said.

Acting Corrections Director Greg Cox said the system was able to free about 150 illegal immigrant inmates several years ago who were minimum custody, but the remaining inmates are charged with violent crimes, Cox said.

In other developments today, the Department of Corrections says it needs another $600,000 to keep the Casa Grande Transitional Center operating in the Las Vegas area.

The center has been financed, in part, by inmates getting employment, but with the downturn in the economy, Muhlenkamp said, “It has been difficult getting inmates jobs.”

In 2007 there were 200 inmates with outside jobs, but that number is now down to 100 inmates.

The Finance Committee told Muhlenkamp to refine the amount of money needed in both programs and it will act later on the requests.

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