Nevada to shut down two conservation camps by midyear

Two minimum-custody facilities in Nevada, commonly referred to as conservation camps, are set to shut down later this year.

The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) announced that Jean Conservation Camp and Carlin Conservation Camp will close by July 1.

“As a greater number of offenders qualify for house arrest and other transitional programs, the NDOC determined the cost of keeping these locations open was no longer beneficial,” NDOC Director James Dzurenda said in a statement.

Officials will relocate all offenders from the two facilities in the coming weeks. Staff will continue to patrol the camps until crews remove all equipment.

Employees will have opportunities to transfer into other available positions within NDOC or elsewhere in state government.

Jean Conservation Camp, which can house up to 240 individuals, is the only facility in the state designated for female offenders, according to NDOC. These individuals assist the Nevada Division of Forestry by battling wildfires during fire season, in addition to working on conservation efforts and handling highway cleanup.

The closure will not affect Jean, the unincorporated community located south of Las Vegas.

NDOC stated that it will transfer the Carlin Conservation Camp property to the city of Carlin, just west of Elko.