Recession hurting inmate hiring programs

Director of Corrections Howard Skolnik told lawmakers Friday the recession is hitting especially hard inmates attempting to restart their lives.

He said inmates in the Casa Grande transitional center who are able to find work has dropped from more than 80 percent to 65 percent.

He told the joint Senate Finance/Assembly Ways and Means subcommittee that, with such a large pool of applicants for every open job, "employers are going to probably lean toward those without a record."

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 about negotiations to lease Southern Desert Correctional Center to U.S. immigration authorities and also county officials in Storey and Nye potentially contracting 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.

Skolnik said the negotiations over SNCC include the federal government paying all costs to operate the prison for illegal immigrants plus about $30 per day per prisoner.

Alaska is asking states for help placing up to 1,150 inmates, but Skolnik said those negotiations are 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 earlier statements that the legislative order to discontinue reducing the inmate population and staff at Nevada State Prison will result in more layoffs than he had originally hoped. He said 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.

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.

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