Southern Nevada Correctional Center
Encyclopedia
Southern Nevada Correctional Center was a medium-security prison
in Southern Nevada
in the United States
owned and operated by the Nevada Department of Corrections
. Located approximately 30 miles south of Las Vegas
, off Interstate 15
, in Jean
, it was permanently closed in July 2008. The prison had closed in 2000 and re-opened in 2006 to house inmates under 25 years of age.
In 2006 the center installed the first in the nation electronic tracking system for all prisoners.
There are no shrubs, trees, or grass inside the compound, which is double fenced. The interior fence, a heavy-duty chain-link fence, is approximately 20 feet tall, curves inward near the top, and is topped with a roll of razor-wire. The outside fence is also a heavy-duty chain-link fence. It is taller than the interior fence, also curves inward near its top, and is equipped with not one, but two, rolls of razor-wire along its top. Another roll of razor-wire is attached along the bottom of the exterior fence, making even an approach to the fence difficult, if not impossible. Instead of grass, shrubs, and trees, the compound inside the double fence contains raked gravel which is tan in color.
Sidewalks, which are identified by an alphanumeric code at their heads, lead to the modules and the cafeteria. At the south end of the compound is the gym, and the north end contains the chapel, school and administrative building and visiting center.(Ref. - former inmate 1984–1991)
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in Southern Nevada
Southern Nevada
Southern Nevada is the region of Nevada which includes the Las Vegas Valley. Southern Nevada also includes the areas in and around Goldfield, Hawthorne, Pahrump, and Pioche. Geographically, Southern Nevada is partly, and in some cases, fully within the Mojave Desert. The population of the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
owned and operated by the Nevada Department of Corrections
Nevada Department of Corrections
The Nevada Department of Corrections is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. The NDOC headquarters is located in Building 17 in the Stewart Facility in Carson City.-History:...
. Located approximately 30 miles south of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, off Interstate 15
Interstate 15 in Nevada
In the U.S. State of Nevada, Interstate 15 begins in Primm, continues through Las Vegas and it crosses the border with Arizona in Mesquite. The freeway runs entirely in Clark County. Many motorists use Interstate 15 to visit Las Vegas, as it is the only primary Interstate Highway in the city. The...
, in Jean
Jean, Nevada
Jean is a small commercial town in Clark County, Nevada, located approximately north of the Nevada-California state line along Interstate 15. Las Vegas is located about to the north...
, it was permanently closed in July 2008. The prison had closed in 2000 and re-opened in 2006 to house inmates under 25 years of age.
History
Opened in 1978, the facility originally housed prisoners who were serving sentences that resulted from their having been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. Later a psych center was established in Desert Hall which housed a medium security psychological treatment facility for inmates deemed to be too impaired to be allowed among the general population. In the 1980s the prison contained mostly sex offenders, other offenders who had been on protective custody in other prisons in the state and "lifers" who had been in custody for many years with no problems. ((former inmate 1984–1992))In 2006 the center installed the first in the nation electronic tracking system for all prisoners.
Description
The cell blocks are situated alongside the left, right, and rear sides of a central campus and, from the outside, resemble condominiums or apartments constructed in free-standing modules. Each housing unit consists of two "wings". Each wing has a central rotunda with two tiers of cells. The cells are fitted for two people with a bunk bed, sink and toilet. There are no bars. Each cell has a door with a small window in it.There are no shrubs, trees, or grass inside the compound, which is double fenced. The interior fence, a heavy-duty chain-link fence, is approximately 20 feet tall, curves inward near the top, and is topped with a roll of razor-wire. The outside fence is also a heavy-duty chain-link fence. It is taller than the interior fence, also curves inward near its top, and is equipped with not one, but two, rolls of razor-wire along its top. Another roll of razor-wire is attached along the bottom of the exterior fence, making even an approach to the fence difficult, if not impossible. Instead of grass, shrubs, and trees, the compound inside the double fence contains raked gravel which is tan in color.
Sidewalks, which are identified by an alphanumeric code at their heads, lead to the modules and the cafeteria. At the south end of the compound is the gym, and the north end contains the chapel, school and administrative building and visiting center.(Ref. - former inmate 1984–1991)
Trivia
- Featured in the video game Fallout: New VegasFallout: New VegasFallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
as the NCR Correctional Facility.