By C1 Staff
LAS VEGAS — A lawmaker who fought against a private contractor re-opening the state’s only maximum-security juvenile facility is now encouraging the state to run the prison.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reports the Red Rock Academy has been beset by problems throughout its 15-year history and this is the third time the state has closed the facility.
Maggie Carlton, the assemblywoman who fought against having ROP take control of the facility, believes that a combination of non-profits providing treatment and rehabilitation services while the state remains in charge of operations would be a good approach.
It’s unclear what exactly caused the closure of the facility, but the Gazette-Journal reports that an audit of Rite of Passage, the contract company operating the prison, were not tracking medication properly, not accounting for tools and other contraband, and failed to conduct strict enough criminal background checks on staff.
Though the state continued close oversight of the company and the facility, ROP was eventually garnering fines of up to $5,000 a day.
ROP also owns and operates another juvenile facility near Yerington that’s been rocked by riots over the last four months.