Solitary confinement issues have attention of new Nevada prison director

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval said Tuesday that solitary confinement in the state’s prison system has the attention of his new corrections director, James Dzurenda.

“Solitary confinement is something that he’s brought to my attention recently,” Sandoval said. “I have given him absolutely full discretion in terms to put together a plan to improve that and with his experience from Connecticut and New York, he will do that.”

Dzurenda joined the department in April 2016 and previously has managed prisons and jails in Connecticut and New York City.

“My charge to him before he was hired when I interviewed him was and after he was hired was systematically go through all the systems throughout the Department of Corrections,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval spoke to reporters briefly about the issue of solitary confinement, one day after the ACLU of Nevada released a 48-page study on the state’s practice. The ACLU report urged widespread reforms, including limiting the length of solitary confinement stays to 15 days and limiting its use to exceptional circumstances like security reasons.

Sandoval pointed to changes the department has started working on: ending the practice of using birdshot at prisons; adding beds to Casa Grande Transitional Housing; and working to improve release plans inmates need to be paroled.

Sandoval said he hasn’t seen the ACLU report and said it would be premature to comment on whether the 15-day limit is appropriate.

The ACLU study, based on inmate surveys, also calls for improving conditions in solitary confinement and immediately removing mentally ill inmates from segregated housing.

The study followed an admission last week that the Corrections Department routinely housed mentally ill inmates in segregation units, sometimes for as long as five years at a time.

David Tristan, deputy director of programs for department, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the practices were unconstitutional and among the worst he’s seen.

The department has started working on steps to improve conditions and reduce the use of solitary confinement. The department said in December that Nevada is one of five states picked to work with the Vera Institute of Justice on ways to reduce the use of solitary confinement.

Sean Whaley contributed to this report.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or (775)461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.