Senator Jeff Stone speech

Today Senator Jeff Stone gave the speech below calling for parity of pay for our correctional officers and opposed a bill requiring money to be spent on a position that oversees inmate visititation. If I can get the video clip I'll post it.

"Good morning colleagues, I rise in opposition to AB-452.

During the committee hearing, the issue of canceled family visits was discussed fully with DOC Director James Dzarenda present.

Roughly 90 % of the cancellations were not

arbitrary and capricious, but rather, the reason why most visitations were canceled

were due to last minute lacko fstaffing. Here are the facts:

There are 1500 positions in the State DOC

There are 400 vacancies and growing, stretching thin the ability to properly oversee our prison population.

Hiring an expensive ombudsman will NOT solve this problem of the lack of staffing!

The Director should be the one responsible to

ensure that staffing levels are appropriate, and ensuing he has the right staff to oversee

the visitation issues being addressed by this bill. BUT the director has also confirmed why

we have a lack if staffing (?).

Because our prison guards are grossly underpaid. Until this legislature wraps their arms around this complicated issue and has a

plan to bring our prison guards to parity, visitation and other problems with our

detention system will continue to plague our State.

Save the money that will be spent on this useless position and instead use the funds as a

down payment on bringing parity to our prison guards in Nevada.

Then director Dzarenda will be able to solve

this problem and many others facing our

Nevada Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections

For these reasons, Ioppose AB-452