Board defers prison furloughs

The Board of Examiners on Tuesday approved the first exemptions to the unpaid furloughs imposed on state workers, but gave the Department of Corrections an extra month to work out a way of handling the mandate.

"We need to develop schedules to see if furloughs are even possible," said Director Howard Skolnik. "We can't just ask the inmates to behave overnight and leave them alone."

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Secretary of State Ross Miller joined Skolnik in expressing concerns for the safety of officers, inmates and the public if staffing levels are cut any further.

But all three conceded prisons must do something because the $8.4 million it would cost to exempt the department entirely is more than double the $4 million lawmakers set aside to cover the cost of exemptions statewide this biennium.

"This strikes at the heart of public safety," Miller said.

Skolnik said given another month to work out staffing schedules, he believes he can greatly reduce the amount of added money he will need. He said, however, he can't completely eliminate the need for more cash.

In response to board questions, Skolnik confirmed that he was not included in the legislative hearings on furloughs and didn't have the opportunity to explain to lawmakers how difficult it would be to reduce prison staff while maintaining public safety.

Gov. Jim Gibbons, who chairs the board, said this is just one of the unanticipated consequences of the legislative decision to order furloughs instead of the 6 percent across-the-board pay cut he put in the budget.

Director of Administration Andrew Clinger told the board that. if corrections and other agencies need more than the $4 million lawmakers set aside for exemptions, the only source would be the Interim Finance Committee's Contingency Fund which has nearly $15 million. But he warned that fund must still pay for all other emergencies the state faces before the 2011 Legislature - including the cost of fighting wildland fires and any other natural disasters that occur.

The board approved exemptions to the furloughs for two programs within the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Furloughs within both the Bureau of Disability Adjudication and Employment Security were opposed by the federal government, which funds both of those programs. Social Security and Labor Department officials sent letters to the board saying furloughs would delay delivery of benefits.

Masto said furloughs in those programs would only increase backlogs for those who need disability or unemployment benefits while saving the state nothing.

DETR Director Larry Mosley said that since 2005, Unemployment Insurance benefits have increased from $4.5 million a week to some $37 million last week.

"There is no end in sight for the extreme workload we are facing," he said.

He said increased delays in processing disability claims would delay access to other social services for workers who can no longer work because of injury or illness.

The final exemption approved was for the Division of Forestry which asked that 19 firefighters who man the 24-hour fire stations be excused from furloughs at least through the fire season this summer. Clinger said those positions are not funded with state money either, that they are paid for by the counties.

The board expects to receive more requests for exemptions at its next meeting along with Skolnik's plan for handling prison furloughs.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.