Organizational Structure Nevada Department of Correction (Ndoc)

Organizational Structure

Nevada Department of Correction (NDOC) Organization Chart

Board of State Prison Commissioners

Board Chairman

Governor

Directors

Executive Assistant

Family Services

Victim Services

Deputy Director Operations

Deputy Director Support Services

Deputy Director Industrial Programs

Inspector General

Human Resources

EEO

Plant Operators

Medical Director

Medical Administration

Retrieved from Nevada Department of Corrections Web Org Chart July 2011

As shown in the organizational chart, the Nevada Department of Correction is governed by the Board of State Prison Commissioners. The Board comprises of the Governor who doubles up as the chair of the Board, the Secretary of the State, and the Attorney General. All administrative duties of the Department are presided over by the Director who is appointed by the Governor (NDOC, 2011). The Director is a member of the Governor's cabinet. The personnel in the director's office include executive assistant and persons in-charge of family and victim services. Under the Director are Deputy Director of Operations, Deputy Director of Support Services, Deputy Director Industrial Programs, Inspector General, Human Resources, Plant Operators, Medical Director, and Medical Administration (NDOC, 2011).

The first Prison in Nevada was created by territorial legislature in 1862. The Legislature leased the property of Warm Springs Hotel which was the meeting place of Territorial Legislature. After Nevada had become a state on October 1864, the Governor, the Secretary of the State, and the Attorney General became members of the Board of Prison Commissioners something that runs up-to-date (NDOC, 2011). Nevada State Prison remained the premier state correctional facility in the State of Nevada for many decades. It housed both male and female who were kept in separate areas. Expansion initiatives have since begun and a second facility has been erected in Carson City, commonly called Northern Nevada Correctional Center. There are other facilities in Las Vegas. Currently, there are eight major institutions; one restitution center, NNRC and one Transitional Housing Center, and nine conservation camps operated by the Department. The Women's Correctional Facility is located in North Las Vegas (NDOC, 2011).

The Nevada's Department of Corrections administers 8 institutions and 11 facilities. The population growth of the Department has been on the rise over the years (NDOC, 2011). At the end of 1969, there were 669 inmates incarcerated in the Department (United States Census Bureau, 2009) . At the end of 1999, there were 9,227 inmates in the prison facility. The State of Nevada had the highest rate of incarceration in the entire United States between 1969 and 1999 (NDOC, 2011). However, things slightly changed between 1990 and 1999. In fact, during this period, the rate at which the Department grew declined. The average annual percent of increase for the inmate population was 5.59% (NDOC, 2011).

Inmates within the Department are engaged in productive activities majorly work or education/training. Inmates are often employed as clerks, cooks, boiler operators, and porters. The inmates earn credit towards parole and discharge (NDOC, 2011). Some of them earn small wages. Educational programs that inmates are subjected to range from basic literacy through to Associate of Arts degree. Basic and secondary classes are presented by county school district where a correctional facility is located (NDOC, 2011). It is supported by State Distributive Education Fund. Conservation Camps strive to equip inmates with basic literacy needs. They offer computer-based prescriptive education. At the Conservation Camps inmates are taught fire fighting techniques (NDOC, 2010). At the Department's Boot Camp, offenders are equipped with educational and life skill training, manual labor, and extensive physical training (NDOC, 2011).

There are five custody levels within the Department namely Community, minimum, medium, close, maximum, and residential confinement. Inmates can be assigned to a custody level depending on an automated information system.