Nev. in program to reduce prison solitary confinement
By Sandra Chereb, Las Vegas Review-Journal
CARSON CITY — Nevada is one of five states that were chosen to work with the Vera Institute of Justice on ways to reduce the use of solitary confinement in the state prison system, the Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
“With Vera’s assistance, Nevada will be better-equipped to both reduce reliance on segregation and improve the ways it is used, with the goal of preparing inmates for success when they return to our communities,” James Dzurenda, director of the Nevada Department of Corrections, said in a statement. “This opportunity is directly in line with the mission of the department, will encourage positive development and needed reform, and will boost safety inside and outside prison walls.”
Nevada’s prison population, estimated at 14,000, ballooned beyond projections in recent years.