Nevada has one of the lowest inmate recidivism rates in the country, but that may be because some end up in California prisons after their release here, a correctional expert told the Associated Press. James Austin, a prisoner release consultant, estimated that 20 percent of Nevada inmates are California residents who “had fun in Las Vegas or Reno for a couple of years,” ended up in prison and will return home when they are released.
About 28 percent of prisoners released in Nevada commit new crimes and are returned to prison within three years. That compares with a national rate of more than 40 percent, Austin told the Nevada Parole Commission. Inmates in Nevada are assessed by the Parole Commission on 12 factors, such as whether they have a history of drug use or gang involvement.