Lawmaker wants to prevent for-profit prison companies in Nevada

CARSON CITY — A Nevada lawmaker wants to ban for-profit companies from running the state’s prisons and local jails.

Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D-North Las Vegas, introduced Assembly Bill 303 on Thursday, which would prevent for-profit prison companies from doing business with the state.

Specifically, the bill would require state and local governments to provide the core services of the facilities, which are described as housing, safeguarding, protecting and disciplining inmates.

“As a retired corrections officer, I have seen firsthand the need for improved services and reforms in our criminal justice system,” Monroe-Moreno said in a statement. “The use of for-profit prisons doesn’t fix the problem, but only adds to an already complex and sometimes perplexing system. Outlawing for-profit prisons will establish a criminal justice system of equity, integrity, and fairness — a system that views prisoners as people instead of profit margins.”

The bill has eight primary sponsors and 11 co-sponsors.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.