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CJI’s analysis of Nevada’s prison growth is below. For the current status of legislation in Nevada, visit the state’s Legislature site. 

Where things stand

Over the past few legislative sessions, there have been efforts to roll back the policies that were adopted in 2019, which would reduce access to alternatives to incarceration, lengthen prison terms, and weaken the network of services and programs supporting people diverted due to behavioral health needs. 

Summary

In 2018, Nevada’s prison population was 15% higher than the national average and had grown nearly 8% since 2010 while the national rate decline 9%. The projected growth of the Nevada prison population would cost the state an additional $770 million in prison construction and operating costs over the next 10 years. And nearly half the people incarcerated were serving time for a nonviolent crime. 

Over the next two years, Nevada leaders came together to examine the data and decision points that described how the prison system had reached a crisis point. The legislature passed and the governor signed a bipartisan bill, Assembly Bill 236 (AB236) in 2019, which made comprehensive changes to the system. Over the next five years, the prison population declined 16%, and Nevada was projected to avert an additional $21 million a year on prison costs.  

Key takeaways

  • While the prison population in Nevada has declined, crime rates, even throughout the pandemic, have continued to decline. 
  • Crime rates have declined 9.5% since the legislation passed in 2019 with decreases in both violent and property crime. 
  • The past two legislative sessions have reversed progress, leading to incarcerating more people, furthering strain on prison staff already at capacity, and taxpayer resources directed to increasing prison beds rather than treatment beds and services for those suffering from mental illness and substance use disorder. 

Briefs 

Diversion in Nevada

Nevada Crime Rates

Nevada Smart on Crime Legislation, Prison Population

Nevada’s Path to 2019 Smart on Crime Legislation

What is at stake?  

Since the 2019 legislation, Nevada has not updated policies or conducted a deep analysis of system challenges affecting crime, recidivism, and corrections costs. In the interim, the state has adopted legislation increasing penalties for Fentanyl distribution, certain violent offenses, and public order offenses committed on the Las Vegas strip.  

However, the single biggest crisis facing the Nevada criminal justice system is the prison staffing challenges. This issue has led to a large increase in the costs of overtime as well as incidents of increased drug activity inside the prison walls, including violent incidents. These issues have not been sufficiently addressed, and corrections leadership has been forced to seek more funding to cover overtime and address the presence of illicit substances in prisons.  

Links to media

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