Officials debate opening of new Clark County jail

Clark County officials want to put off opening a low-level offender jail for at least a year to save $13 million in operating costs and help offset an expected budget shortfall.

But the county, beginning in July, would still pay $11.3 million per year for the lease on an empty, 200,000-square-foot complex.

County commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to delay opening the jail, which would house inmates charged with misdemeanors and some nonviolent felonies.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie lambasted the proposal, saying the county's detention center is overflowing. He suggests making 250 of the new jail's 1,038 beds available to ease crowding.

"I don't see the compelling argument to not open the facility," Gillespie said. "I'm fully aware of the economic challenges we face. We need to take a hard look at this."

Don Burnette, the county's chief administrative officer, said keeping the jail closed for a year will allow the county to divert $13 million to help pay a projected $90 million deficit.

"It's a hard decision to make, but we're making lots of hard decisions right now," Burnette said.

The Molasky Group is finishing work on the $128 million jail near Nellis Air Force Base. The county will lease the jail for 10 years at a total cost of $113 million, and then buy the site at the full market price.

Critics have bashed the deal because none of the rent money goes toward the purchase, resulting in the county paying for the same site twice.

County leaders have said they chose the deal that would get the jail built the quickest and ease overcrowding.

However, the local inmate population has dropped by 4.6 percent since the peak two years ago when an average of 3,700 inmates strained the jail's 2,984-bed capacity, said Steve Morris, the county's detention operations manager.

The county can forgo hiring and training 45 corrections officers and 79 civilian jobs.

It also can keep an additional 45 officers at the detention center instead of moving them to the new jail, Morris said. The extra staffing will erase the $10 million in yearly overtime at the center, he added.

"That's where we realize the savings," Morris said.

Gillespie, however, argued that the county is ignoring the societal costs of having multiple offenders let go because there's no place to house them.

The term "low-level" denotes small-time, even harmless offenders, when in fact many steal cars and break into homes, Gillespie said.

None of the county brass consulted him before forming plans to delay the jail's opening and divert money earmarked for the new jail, he said.

"That is maybe an easier decision for someone to make that is not responsible for public safety," Gillespie said. "I think I need to be more a part of that discussion."

Gillespie said he will recommend that the commission hold off on making a decision so he and county staff can talk.

Although the inmate count has dropped, the jail is still pushed beyond capacity, Gillespie said.

An average of 340 inmates are jailed in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Lincoln County at a cost of $11.5 million yearly, Morris said. However, he contends that renting the beds costs the county less than maintaining its own beds.

Carole Vilardo, of the Nevada Taxpayers Association, said she agreed with Gillespie about opening up 250 to 500 beds at the new jail. Since the county is paying a hefty lease, it should use the space instead of shelling out an additional $11.5 million to house inmates in other jurisdictions, she said.

"It would appear that the sheriff's proposal would be the most fiscally prudent one," Vilardo said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.