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| Final inmates leave Nevada State Prison |
| By nevadaappeal.com - Geoff Dornan |
| Published: 01/10/2012 |
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The final half-dozen inmates loaded up their possessions Monday and moved out of the old Nevada State Prison in Carson City, with at least one of them making it clear he would rather stay. “I'm going back to a regular prison,” said William Tungate, 45. “Freedom is a lot better here.” Warden Greg Smith said a lot of the in mates like it at NSP because they feel as if they have more space and freedom to move around. Tungate, a trusty scheduled for parole in July, said “it was nice” where he was in the prison. The space once occupied by 11 inmates, he said, got down to just six by the end. The prison, which opened in 1862, was one of the oldest operating in the U.S. The only older Western prison that Smith knows of is San Quentin in California. Those last NSP inmates didn't have far to go, however. They were moved to Warm Springs Prison, just a double row of chain-link fence away from the upper yard of NSP. Smith is warden not only of NSP, but also Warm Springs and the Reno Restitution Center. Although NSP no longer houses inmates, its license plate plant still is operating. In addition, Smith said, crews will maintain the execution chamber in case another execution is ordered. So inmate crews will be at the prison nearly every day for some time to come. “We've got lots to do here,” he said. “It's kind of like cleaning out your garage after 150 years.” There's a lot of history at the old prison, where 43 prisoners were put to death. “Right now, we've got third-generation correctional officers here,” Smith said. NSP predates Nevada's statehood, having been established in 1862 when territorial officials purchased the Warm Springs Hotel and 20 acres on the east side of town. When Nevada legalized gambling in 1932, inmates got to run their own casino, the “NSP Bull Pen,” which operated until 1967. But despite its colorful history, the prison's structural problems are many. During a Board of Prisons meeting last March, public works officials said five buildings were out of service because the housing units were either too small or utilities no longer worked. Read More. |
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