Spending plans were reviewed in Carson City on March 18 covering a variety of prison renovation and addition requests.
The Nevada Department of Corrections is attempting to repair older sections of prisons throughout the Silver State. Potential renovation points include outdoor recreation, showers, door locks and swamp coolers.
Aging infrastructure has led to safety concerns for inmates. Last year, an inmate at High Desert State Prison burst through an area closed off by chain link fencing and committed a homicide. The three prisons seeking new fences are:
- High Desert State Prison: fence renovations valued at $6.1M;
- Lovelock Correctional Center: fence renovations valued at $5.7M, and
- Ely State Prison: fence renovations valued at $2.8M.
The renovations encompass altering the chain link fences to have smaller holes. The holes would still be big enough for guards to keep an eye on what was happening behind them but small enough to prevent inmates from breaking through.
The prisons need an abundance of construction projects, from deferred maintenance projects to large-scale additions. There are 10 individual prison-related deferred maintenance projects, which total $35.7M. An additional four necessary major projects bring the grand total to $138.4M.
The most expensive project is replacing evaporative coolers in 12 buildings at High Desert State Prison. The project totals $58.8M and covers new rooftop coolers and fans.
The Northern Nevada Correction Center in Carson City is requesting a $41.8M culinary facility. When the project was originally introduced, it was valued at $25.6M. The price rose due to inflation. Tariff effects have yet to be measured. (Source)
