Nevada
Articles
09/14/2008 – Las Vegas Sun: “Detention Changes Under Way”, by James Hardesty
“Although funding may be tight, the state must prioritize its dollars to reduce overcrowding and recidivism and protect the public. Now more than ever, the state must identify improvements to make the system more efficient and effective.”
09/07/2008 – Las Vegas Sun: “Editorial: Overcrowded Prisons: State Legislature Should Consider Alternative Sentencing for Nonviolent Offenders“
“Lawmakers should give judges the latitude in many cases to impose alternative sentences. They should also fully fund probation departments to oversee the offenders, along with increasing the number of drug and mental health treatment programs.”
08/31/2008 – Las Vegas Sun: “Services Help Determine Whether Probation Succeeds”, by Steve Kanigher and Alex Richards
“Opponents of probation contend that high probation rates lead to higher crime rates, but judging from other states’ success, it all depends on what you do with those probationers.”
07/09/2008 – Mercury News: “Severe Budget Cuts Seen”, by Associated Press
“The next round of budget cuts will make the past round seem mild, with Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons’ senior staff projecting a shortfall of more than $1 billion in the two-year budget cycle that starts next July.”
06/18/2008 – Las Vegas Review Journal: “Nevada State Prison in Carson City to Close“
“Corrections Department Director Howard Skolnik said today he is planning to close the Nevada State Prison in Carson City to reduce spending and help balance the state budget.”
05/29/2008 – Channel 4 – KRNV: “Nevada Women’s Minimum Security Camp to Close“
“One of only two female minimum security conservation camps in Nevada will be temporarily closed.”
04/17/2008 – Las Vegas Review Journal: “ State Parole Board: ‘Can’t do’ Approach Draws Fire”, by Ed Vogel
“Legislators complained Wednesday that the state Parole Board constantly has come up with excuses why it cannot carry out a 2007 law that could have led to the early release of more than 1,300 inmates.”
/02/01/2008 – Nevada Appeal: “Parole Board Back To Full Strength, Faces More Than 1,600 February Hearings”, by Geoff Dornan
“Effective Monday, Nevada’s Parole Board will be back to full strength.”
04/15/2008 – Las Vegas Review Journal: “ Fast-Track Parole Hearings May Not Restrain Crowding”, by Ed Vogel
“A proposed regulation designed to speed up parole hearings might do little to curb prison crowding, a Parole Board official said Monday.
The regulation, which could be adopted by the Legislative Commission on Wednesday, would allow low-risk inmates to waive their right to appear in person for their parole hearings.”
01/02/2008 – Nevada Appeal: “Huge Number of Inmates to Get Parole Hearings in February”, by Geoff Dornan
“Because of changes made by the 2007 Legislature, 1,602 inmates will be eligible for parole hearings in February.”
11/13/2007 – Associated Press: “Funding Sought To Deal with New Nevada Parole Law”, by Brendan Riley
“A state panel recommended Tuesday that lawmakers approve nearly $1.3 million in emergency funding to help Nevada parole officials deal with a new law giving additional rights to inmates seeking release from prison.
09/28/2007 – Associated Press: “Governor: No special session to deal with Nevada parole backlog”
“Gov. Jim Gibbons said Tuesday he won’t call for an emergency legislative session to help the state deal with a new Nevada law speeding up release eligibility for nearly 1,200 prisoners.”
8/07/2007 – KRNV: “Governor Gibbons Speaks Out About Nevada Prison Management Criticism”, by Marina Hicks
“One day after Nevada’s Secretary of State called upon Gov. Jim Gibbons to convene the prison board, because of problems with the prison system, Gibbons’ office is speaking out.”
7/31/2007 – KVBC: “Prison Relief Too High a Cost?”, by Jesse Corona
“Some people are questioning Nevada’s recent state law to let prison inmates out early to relieve the overpopulated prisons. But a recent brutal murder has brought this new law to light.”
7/25/2007 – Nevada Appeal: “Criminal Justice Commission Sees Lack of Services as Key Issue”, by Geoff Dornan
“Presentations from the Department of Corrections, Parole Board and Parole and Probation Division made it clear alternatives that could keep offenders out of prison and parolees out of trouble were woefully inadequate in Nevada. As a result of Nevada’s tough sentencing and criminal prosecution policies, Director of Corrections Howard Skolnik said he will add 439 more staff over the next 18 months, bringing his total personnel to more than 2,800. And he said it costs $250,000 to build each new prison bed and up to $22,000 a year to keep each inmate.”
6/20/2007 – Nevada Appeal: “Prison Handing Illegal Aliens Over to Federal Authority”, by Geoff Dornan
“Nevada has turned 77 prison inmates over to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.”
6/15/2007 – Reno-Gazette Journal: “Nevada Legislature Initiates Major Criminal Justice Reforms”
“Lawmakers passed the most significant criminal justice reforms in years during the 2007 legislative session, changing how offenders are sentenced, imprisoned, and paroled.”
6/03/2007 – Las Vegas Sun: “Prison Reforms Included In Proposed Budget”, by Geoff Dornan ”
“The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved a Nevada Department of Corrections budget assuming reforms that would reduce the prison population enough to free up more than $28 million.”
5/03/2007 Nevada Appeal: “Nevada Governor Warns Against Prison Overcrowding”, by Joe Mullin
“The governor said Nevada currently has more than 13,000 prisoners in a system built to hold less than 9,000, and if the state doesn’t do something to get its prison population under control there’s a risk of a federal takeover of the system.”
4/18/2007 – Las Vegas Sun: “ Legislative Budget Panel OKs Nevada Prison Budget ”, by Joe Mullin ”
“A legislative budget panel voted Friday for a $600 million-plus Nevada prisons budget that anticipates savings from releasing more prisoners who earn good-time credits – but much of that savings will pay for more parole officers to supervise them.”
4/18/2007 – Las Vegas Review Journal: “Prisons Too Full, Judge Warns”, by Sean Whaley ”
“Nevada Supreme Court Justice James Hardesty told members of the Legislature on Tuesday the state needs to commit to reducing the state prison population by 2,000 inmates in the coming several months.”
4/18/2007 – Nevada Appeal: “Justice: Prison Reform Needs Urgent, by Geoff Dornan
“Nevada Supreme Court Justice James Hardesty warned lawmakers Tuesday they must act to reduce crowding before the prison system goes over its maximum capacity.”
4/17/2007 – Las Vegas Sun: “Nevada Lawmakers Consider Alternatives to Prison Growth”, by Joe Mullin
“Nevada lawmakers were told Tuesday that the state’s prison population is projected to jump 61 percent over the next decade—but with the right policies, they can put a dent in that growth.”
4/17/2007 – Nevada Appeal: “Prison Experts Meet with Lawmakers Today in Effort to Control Growth”, by Geoff Dornan
“Nationally known experts on prisons and corrections will meet with Nevada lawmakers today to suggest changes they say could help reduce growth of inmate numbers by reducing the growth of crime.”
4/16/2007 – The Ely Times: “As We See It: Lawmakers Must Act on Prison Crisis”, by Sean Whaley”
“The Nevada Legislature can’t wait much longer before it solves the prison problem in the state. Nevada’s prisons are overcrowded and understaffed. The state’s prisons are stuffed with 13,113 inmates (as of May 3). That’s about 1,200 more prisoners than the system should hold.”
4/14/2007 – Reno Gazette-Journal: “ Prison Crisis Looming”, by Martha Bellisle”
“Of the 368 new inmates who checked into the crowded Northern Nevada Correctional Center in the past six weeks, 294 were methamphetamine addicts and half admitted they were high when they committed their crimes.”
4/05/2007 – Nevada Appeal: “ Gibbons Warns Against Prison Overcrowding”, by Joe Mullin”
“Expanding Nevada prisons is an absolute necessity in a growing state regardless of what other reforms lawmakers might consider, Gov. Jim Gibbons said Thursday.”