The Nevada Department of Corrections recently completed a large inmate transfer involving around 2,000 prisoners between two state prisons. High Desert State Prison, near Indian Springs, is now a maximum-security facility, while Ely State Prison in northeastern Nevada has been downgraded to medium-security, as reported by news3lv.com.
Officials say the transfer was prompted by an increase in gang activity and violence, including a recent fight at Ely that left three inmates dead. High Desert staff have received additional training and new tools, such as pepper ball launchers, to better handle maximum-security inmates. Another reason for the move was the higher availability of staff and quick access to law enforcement and medical services in Southern Nevada.
James Dzurenda, the Director of the Nevada Department of Corrections, called the transfer a highly sensitive operation and praised its success, noting there were no injuries. The newer High Desert facilities offer improved security features, such as a high-voltage electric fence, making it a safer location for high-risk inmates, according to news3lv.com.
As part of the changes, death row inmates will now be housed at High Desert, but the state’s execution chamber will stay at Ely. To ensure safety, the exact timing of the inmate transfers was not released beforehand, according to an NDOC press statement.