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Friday, February 09, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada's female inmate population increases

CARSON CITY -- A big jump in the number of women in an already crowded prison system is forcing Nevada prison officials to look for ways to handle the influx.

"There's been a tremendous growth in the population of female inmates in Nevada the last year," Glen Whorton of the state Department of Prisons told the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

"We don't have a lot of flexibility as to where to house women and programs for women," he said. "There are more options with men, more institutions and more conservation camps."

Nevada has 802 women inmates, 137 of whom entered the prison system last year -- a 19 percent increase from the previous year. All told, there are nearly 9,500 inmates in Nevada prisons.

More than three-quarters of the women are in Southern Nevada, including 507 at a privately run prison in North Las Vegas and 164 at the Jean Conservation Camp. The rest are in Northern Nevada, at the Silver Springs Conservation Camp and the Northern Nevada Correctional Center.

Whorton said the Department of Prisons is looking into housing options such as alternative sentencing -- including house arrest and an ankle bracelet program -- as well as moving inmates to less crowded facilities.

But many Judiciary members opposed such a move, saying it would take female inmates from their families.

"It's a good idea to keep the population geographically close to their family and support units. Children are a first priority. You can't separate a family like that," said Assemblyman Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas.

Whorton said the department was looking at other options, but that moving convicts can't be ruled out.

"The women's issue is the most contentious and troubling issue presented," Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said afterward.

"The question is, if you have 40 additional inmates, do you find a whole other facility and move all of those people? Maybe it would be better to build a wing or find a place -- to contract out -- that can accommodate additional prisoners," Buckley said.