The Governor’s Plan For Prison Overcrowding

Gov. Brian Sandoval wants to avoid building a new prison to reduce overcrowding in Nevada’s correctional system by speeding up the process for releasing as many as 400 inmates eligible for parole. The plans outlined in Sandoval’s budget were discussed during a briefing last week. They come as the state’s inmate population is expected to increase by 900 over the next two years. Sandoval’s budget includes proposals to increase the number of staff supervising parolees and to put $1 million toward creating a state-funded house arrest program. Sandoval also wants to add case worker positions at prisons to expedite the release of inmates eligible for parole.