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Nevada lawmakers approved new prison rules in 2007 aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons. Changes to the good-time credits will make some inmates eligible for parole earlier, though one official said the effects of these changes on overcrowding won’t be felt in prisons for a while yet.

Fritz Schlottman, Deputy Director for Offender Management, said the new rules make some inmates immediately eligible for parole hearings. However, he added, it’s up to the inmate to convince the board that he/she is no longer a threat to society.

The New Rules

The new law enables inmates to double the amount of good-time credits they can earn per month and also allows them to earn credits for participating in drug rehabilitation programs or for earning a diploma.

To help reduce the prison population, the rules apply retroactively to July 2006 for inmates already on parole and to July 2000 for those who meet the criteria. Also, the credits will apply to the minimum sentence for nonviolent offenders.

A Significant Impact

According to Schlottman, the new rules should have a significant impact over time. In the meantime, however, Nevada’s prison system is housing more than 13,000 inmates—a number much higher than legislators expected when they met in February.

Consequently, some state institutions, such as gymnasiums, are now being used to house inmates. Women’s institutions are especially overcrowded, and some of the women have been moved to a wing of a men’s prison in Southern Nevada.

(Source: Nevada Appeal)

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