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Director of Corrections Howard Skolnik told lawmakers Friday the recession is hurting inmates attempting to restart their lives probably even more than the rest of the workforce.
He said the percentage of inmates in the Casa Grande transitional center able to find work has dropped from more than 80 to 65 percent.
He told the joint Senate Finance/Assembly Ways and Means subcommittee with all those out of work, there are numerous applicants for any open jobs and with a large pool of applicants, “employers are going to probably lean toward those without a record.”
One area where inmate applicants are being hard hit, he said, is the construction industry, which has been greatly reduced by the recession.
He said there has also been a 50 percent reduction in hours worked in prison industries programs.
As a result, he said inmates are accumulating debt at Casa Grande because they can’t pay their rent, treatment program fees or restitution.
He was questioned not only about his negotiations to lease Southern Desert Correctional Center to federal immigration authorities but potential projects where county officials in Storey and Nye would contract to bring in private prison operators.
“I don’t want these private prisons coming to Nevada and bringing in the worst of the worst,” said Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas.
Skolnik said those are two completely different issues.
“ We will have some control over Southern Nevada Correctional Center because we still own it,” he said. “Storey County and Pahrump, we have nothing to do with that.”
Lawmakers indicated there may be legislation coming to give the state some say over local officials contracting for private prisons in their counties.
Skolnik said the negotiations with federal immigration officials over SNCC would provide the state all costs to operate the prison for illegals plus about $30 per day per prisoner.
Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, asked whether the department has talked with the federal government about taking prisoners from Guantanamo Bay saying Obama has said he will move them to mainland U.S. prisons.
“They have to go somewhere,” he said.
Skolnik said he doesn’t think the state would want those prisoners. He said there aren’t enough to fill an institution and “I would not want to mix those inmates with our regular prisoners.
“If we’re going to use this for non-Nevada people, we know these folks and I would not be afraid of them,” Coffin said.
Alaska is asking states whether they have places for up to 1,150 inmates but Skolnik said those negotiations are very preliminary.
“They’re used to 40 below and we’re going to put them in the desert?” said a skeptical McClain. “We’re going to like transport them from the Tundra to the Sahara.”
Skolnik repeated his earlier statements that legislative direction not to continue reducing the population and staff at Nevada State Prison will result in more layoffs than he had originally hoped. He said for one thing, after that order, he had to begin hiring more officers for the old Carson City prison, where he had allowed the staff to drop below the level where he feels officers are safe.
“The bad news is if in fact the Legislature decides to close Nevada State Prison, there will be more impact,” he said.
Skolnik said he has an alternative plan to add three units to Warm Springs rather than build a new $200 million prison in southern Nevada if lawmakers reject that construction project. But he said he would still need to build a regional medical center and execution chamber in the south.
He also said he is looking at alternatives to closing the Tonopah Conservation Camp, a controversial move because of the services those inmates provide in not only fighting wildland fires but repair, maintenance and other projects in the community.
“I very much appreciate the efforts to keep Tonopah open,” said Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka. “It is essential to central Nevada.”
Skolnik told the committee when he gets the newest population projections from consultants he will have a better handle on what changes and reductions lawmakers can make to the prison system budgets.
He said the percentage of inmates in the Casa Grande transitional center able to find work has dropped from more than 80 to 65 percent.
He told the joint Senate Finance/Assembly Ways and Means subcommittee with all those out of work, there are numerous applicants for any open jobs and with a large pool of applicants, “employers are going to probably lean toward those without a record.”
One area where inmate applicants are being hard hit, he said, is the construction industry, which has been greatly reduced by the recession.
He said there has also been a 50 percent reduction in hours worked in prison industries programs.
As a result, he said inmates are accumulating debt at Casa Grande because they can’t pay their rent, treatment program fees or restitution.
He was questioned not only about his negotiations to lease Southern Desert Correctional Center to federal immigration authorities but potential projects where county officials in Storey and Nye would contract to bring in private prison operators.
“I don’t want these private prisons coming to Nevada and bringing in the worst of the worst,” said Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas.
Skolnik said those are two completely different issues.
“ We will have some control over Southern Nevada Correctional Center because we still own it,” he said. “Storey County and Pahrump, we have nothing to do with that.”
Lawmakers indicated there may be legislation coming to give the state some say over local officials contracting for private prisons in their counties.
Skolnik said the negotiations with federal immigration officials over SNCC would provide the state all costs to operate the prison for illegals plus about $30 per day per prisoner.
Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, asked whether the department has talked with the federal government about taking prisoners from Guantanamo Bay saying Obama has said he will move them to mainland U.S. prisons.
“They have to go somewhere,” he said.
Skolnik said he doesn’t think the state would want those prisoners. He said there aren’t enough to fill an institution and “I would not want to mix those inmates with our regular prisoners.
“If we’re going to use this for non-Nevada people, we know these folks and I would not be afraid of them,” Coffin said.
Alaska is asking states whether they have places for up to 1,150 inmates but Skolnik said those negotiations are very preliminary.
“They’re used to 40 below and we’re going to put them in the desert?” said a skeptical McClain. “We’re going to like transport them from the Tundra to the Sahara.”
Skolnik repeated his earlier statements that legislative direction not to continue reducing the population and staff at Nevada State Prison will result in more layoffs than he had originally hoped. He said for one thing, after that order, he had to begin hiring more officers for the old Carson City prison, where he had allowed the staff to drop below the level where he feels officers are safe.
“The bad news is if in fact the Legislature decides to close Nevada State Prison, there will be more impact,” he said.
Skolnik said he has an alternative plan to add three units to Warm Springs rather than build a new $200 million prison in southern Nevada if lawmakers reject that construction project. But he said he would still need to build a regional medical center and execution chamber in the south.
He also said he is looking at alternatives to closing the Tonopah Conservation Camp, a controversial move because of the services those inmates provide in not only fighting wildland fires but repair, maintenance and other projects in the community.
“I very much appreciate the efforts to keep Tonopah open,” said Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka. “It is essential to central Nevada.”
Skolnik told the committee when he gets the newest population projections from consultants he will have a better handle on what changes and reductions lawmakers can make to the prison system budgets.
