Governor Joe Lombardo and Attorney General Aaron Ford attended the Board of State Prison Commissioners meeting last week to address complaints and concerns about the state’s prison system.
This meeting was the final gathering of the board for the year 2024, which is responsible for overseeing the Nevada Department of Corrections.
The meeting came following a report from the Chief Medical Officer to the Nevada Board of Prison Commissioners, which highlighted issues related to dietary and unsanitary conditions in Nevada's prisons.
"The Governor asked that I prioritize those kitchen repairs, and issues that were the ones with the greatest numbers of violations over the years," said The Nevada Department of Corrections Director James Dzurenda.
The Division of Public and Behavioral Health conducted inspections at six state prisons, resulting in 14 reported dietary and sanitation violations—an increase of two violations compared to last year.
The prisons inspected included Ely State Prison, Lovelock Correctional Center, High Desert State Prison, Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center, Southern Desert Correctional Center, and Northern Nevada Correctional Center.
Jacquin Webb was an inmate at the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) from 1999 to 2019, during which he transferred between several facilities. While incarcerated, Webb worked in the food services department, commonly referred to as "culinary."
"I did witness what we hear so much about the not fit for human consumption on boxes. We witnessed tons and tons of mice and the feces in the flour and the oatmeal, and just the lack of care and concern for the people that were there," said former NDOC inmate Jacquin Webb.
Morgan Darcy's loved one is currently an inmate. She says he has had a much better experience after being transferred from High Desert State Prison in Nevada to a prison in Idaho.
"In that time he has been transferred, he has seen a dentist. He has been outside more times in the week that he was there for the first than the entire time the he has been in the high desert, which according to him was only for times he was let outside. He has access to better food, healthcare, mental health. He has education," said Morgan Darcy.
Dr. Kenneth Williams, the NDCO Medical Director, has communicated with the prisoner advocacy group Return Strong, which is suing the NDOC for the wrongful death of inmates.
"I've had an opportunity to sit in on some of the discussions on the lawsuits and I would agree there is considerable room for improvement," said NDOC Medical Director Dr. Kenneth Williams.
We reached out to Governor Joe Lombardo, the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC), and Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Ford did not provide any additional comments beyond what he mentioned during the meeting, where he stated, "Something needs to be done to give the prisoners healthier options."
