Nevada State Jails
Nevada is located in the western and southwestern region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas.
Nevada is the seventh-largest state in area, and geographically covers the Mojave Desert in the south to the Great Basin in the north. It is the most arid state in the Union. Approximately 86% of the state's land is owned by the US federal government under various jurisdictions, both civilian and military. As of 2008, there were approx. 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population residing in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno.
The crime rate in Nevada is about 12% higher than the national average rate. Property crimes account for around 82.6% of the crime rate in Nevada which is 7% higher than the national rate. The remaining 19.8% are violent crimes and are about 37% higher than other states.
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Nevada should not be surprising in a State that has the worst crime rate in the United States. Nevada has been ranked as the Most Dangerous State with the worst crime rate for the last four years (2006-09) by Morgan Quitno's annual crime rate report.
Throughout Nevada's 16 counties there are 20 jail facilities with a combined rated capacity of 7,217 inmates. The Division of Parole and Probation, part of the Department of Public Safety, supervises 13,337 probationers and 3,908 parolees through 10 field offices. (2008)
With a total population of 2.6 million, Nevada had a total crime index of approx. 117,078 or 1 crime for every 20.63 people. Of which 12.52% (14,654) were of a violent nature while 87.48% (102,424) were crimes against property.
Nevada's murder rate is nearly seven times higher than New Hampshire's, and the Silver State reported a rape rate of 43 cases per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 30. Nevada also tops the list for robbery rate, with an average 270 reported cases per 100,000 citizens versus the national average of 148, and New Hampshire's rate of 33. Costs per inmate for taxpayers is however considerable cheaper (2009) $20,641 in comparison to the national average $28,689.
Inmate programs that provide basic life skills, mental health care, and those geared for rehabilitation have grown tremendously in the states’ jails. These programs provide some of the most encouraging statistics relating to jails. A recent jail study was conducted regarding change in criminal behavior based on participation in inmate programs. The study revealed a 50% decrease in the average number of arrests, the average number of felony charges, and the average number of person to person crime convictions.
