INDIAN SPRINGS (KTNV) — Since Channel 13 first learned about the prisoner swap between Ely State Prison and the High Desert Prison just outside Indian Springs almost two weeks ago, we've been reaching out to the Nevada Department of Corrections to learn more on the swap.
Tuesday, we got more answers from NDOC.
I took these new details directly to the residents of Indian Springs, just 11 miles down the road from High Desert.
People I spoke with tell me it's a change they never wanted or expected.
“I feel like they should have at least asked people in the community how they feel about that, because how will they feel if somebody like that moved into their backyard?" said Indian Springs resident Desiree Peterson.
Residents tell me they're afraid of having these inmates so close to where they live and work.
It's not just residents who have concerns about the prisoner swap.
We spoke with Paul Lunkwitz, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Nevada C.O. Lodge 21, representing state corrections officers.
“They certainly have not completed all that, and we already have that population at High Desert," Lunkwitz said.
Lunkwitz says he has several issues with how the prisoner swap happened.
We took those issues to the Nevada Department of Corrections. NDOC sent Channel 13 a statement covering these issues, responding to the concerns we gave them from Lunkwitz, and our own questions. Here's some of the topics we covered.
Lunkwitz says he has issues with the facility, specifically the exercise yards the maximum-security inmates are located in. He claims several of these areas still have chain-link fencing and are not suitable for these type of prisoners to be in.
In the NDOC statement, they tell me when it comes to safety of the facility, "The recreation enclosures for maximum security inmates are made from expanded metal and welded shut."
NDOC also mentioned that a portion of the decision to move maximum-security prisoners to High Desert from Ely State Prison was because High Desert is newer, has higher security and was built to serve this purpose.
Another issue Lunkwitz has with the prisoner swap is the transportation of prisoners. He claims while he does not have a report of the incident, an inmate had a shank during an incident during transportation.
In the statement from NDOC, they state they were unable to find any reports of a shank.
NDOC continued, saying "There were no stabbings. Two offenders, while in shackles, attempted to fight. They were subdued with a taser. A group of offenders attempting to attack another offender were subdued with a pepper ball. No offenders (or staff) needed medical treatment."
While there were several issues Lunkwitz had with the prisoner swap, the last main point discussed is the lack of training he claims officers at the prison have.
He claims not every officer has the specific and enough training necessary to manage maximum-security inmates. He also claims that more than training is needed. He believes officers have to have experience managing at least a whole unit of these inmates, understanding the structure, and every day life aspect that training's cannot give you.
In the same NDOC statement, officials said the following:
"Officers throughout the state receive consistent Peace Officer Safety Training for all custody levels, as offenders are often moved to various institutions for medical care, court appearances or other needs. Their training is refreshed annually. Staff at High Desert State Prison are receiving additional training designed to instill confidence and preparedness when handling maximum-custody offenders as a means to increase safety for both staff and offenders. HDSP will also extend its training academy for two weeks to prepare new staff on procedures specific to maximum custody. They will also be trained on the use of Less Lethal Systems, such as pepper ball launchers. Maximum-security offenders, including those sentenced to death, have already been housed at High Desert State Prison for court and medical purposes, so staff have experience with this custody level, and have been properly trained."
Lunkwitz filed a complaint against the Department of Corrections regarding the training of officers.
He says all of this should have been thought through better and done before the swap was made.
NDOC claims this swap has been months in the making.
Despite the back-and-forth between both sides, residents in Indian Springs don't like having a maximum-security prison nearby.
I asked Peterson if she still feels safe in Indian Springs.
"I don't know now, it kind of worries me," Peterson said.
Now that the 2,000 prisoners have been swapped between state prisons, I asked the Nevada Department of Corrections if they'll have to swap any more prisoners.
They said for safety reasons they can't say at this time.
