Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 | 1:24 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval said he would ask for emergency funds for more parole and probation officers to comply with a new law and relieve overcrowding at the Clark County Detention Center.
Mary-Sarah Kinner, Sandoval’s press secretary, said today that the administration is evaluating how much money will be needed for 10 additional officers to write pre-sentencing reports on inmates awaiting sentencing.
The Legislature approved a law that pre-sentencing reports must be presented to the judge 45 days before sentencing but removed money to hire new officers to meet that deadline.
Judges use the reports to help decide punishment.
A committee on the administration of the law said it would ask the governor and the legislative Interim Finance Committee to allocate money from a contingency fund to hire more officers.
Chuck Callaway with Metro Police said Wednesday there were 474 inmates awaiting pre-sentencing reports. As of Oct. 31, Callaway said, the average time between conviction and sentencing was 79 days.
The Parole and Probation Division has reported that the staff for conducting pre-sentencing investigations was reduced from 61 officers in fiscal 2013 to 50 officers this year. At the same time, the number of reports statewide grew from 794 a month to 839 a month.
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