Private Facilities and Institution

NRS 212.1895 – Overview of The Laws and Regulations Governing Private Correctional Institutions and Facilities

Both prisoners and officers in a private facility or institution in Nevada are treated and held to the same guidelines as those in a state or local facility or institution.

Duties of Correctional Officers at Private Prisons

According to NRS 212.1895, a correctional officer at a private institution or facility in Nevada are the same as those of a correctional officer in a state or local institution or facility:

1. Supervise, care for, secure, discipline, transport, and ensure the safety of  the offenders;
2. Protect the facility or institution staff; and
3. Guard the facility or institution itself.

Training Required for a Correctional Officer in a Private Correctional Institution or Facility in Nevada

A correctional officer only needs a high school diploma or its equivalent, but he must also have a few other things including a valid driver’s license and two years of “full-time” work experience or a combination of experience and education. They must also undergo a State of Nevada/ FBI Background Check,  a drug screening, medical and psychological examination, P.O.S.T. physical fitness test, and a Correctional Officer Structured Interview. Also, they must be 21-years-old when they apply. P.O.S.T. stands for Peace Officer’s Standards and Training. To complete a P.O.S.T., you must meet the following physical requirements:

• 15-inch vertical jump;
• 4-second Agility run;
• 29 sit-ups in one minute;
• 20 push-ups;
• 300 meter run in 1:14 minutes; and
• A 1.5 mile run in 17:37 minutes.

What Will Disqualify Someone from Being a Corrections Officer in a Private Institution or Facility

The following are reasons why someone who applies to become a correctional officer could be denied employment:

• A DUI/DWI conviction within the seven years before their application or more than one DUI/DWI on their record;
• A felony conviction in Nevada or being convicted of an offense in another state that would be a felony in Nevada;
• A conviction of manufacturing or selling controlled substances;
• Having used any prescribed medications not prescribed to him or illegal drugs within one year before his application;
• A domestic violence conviction; or
• A dishonorable discharge from the military.

Standards Applicable to Private Prisons in Nevada

A private correctional facility or institution must follow the same rules and regulations as the state and local ones do. There is, however, one extra. They must reimburse the State for any expenses caused them in the pursuit of an escapee from the private facility or institution.

In 2016, the most recent year for which we have statistical data available through the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 6,613,500 prisoners total in the United States. Only 87,824 of them were housed in private facilities or institutions. That same year,  there were 13,812 offenders in the Nevada State prison and 120 in the private institutions in Nevada. This did not include the tally on the private facilities or the county or city jails. This gives us the basic idea, though, that only a small percentage of the total correctional population is housed in private facilities and institutions. This small percentage of prisoners leads to a small number of staff and a need for help in times of overload.

When a prisoner escapes from a private facility or institution in Nevada, it takes the camaraderie of the whole State to apprehend him. As such, the State ends up spending its own funds in the process. These State funds must be replenished, and the private facility or institution is the one that must do that.

State and local agencies have the right to offer a $5,000 reward for the capture, of or information leading to the capture of, any prisoner charged with murder or any other crime that carries the death penalty. This is another fee that the facility or institution would be repaying.

Most “escapes” among Department of Correction ran and privately-owned institutions and facilities around the United States are AWOLs. “AWOL” is the acronym for “Absent without Leave” and is used to describe a prisoner who has walked off the job site or prison housing without permission. These prisoners do not present as big of a threat to society. However, they still have to be apprehended.