Why are they locked up? A look inside Clark County Detention Center

Clark County Detention Center (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal).
More than 2,500 individuals were booked into the Clark County Detention Center in March, records from the Metropolitan Cops Department showed.

Their declared crimes ranged from battery to robbery, driving under the impact to murder, however amongst 7,604 charges, 2 criminal offenses represented one-tenth of all reservations into the prison, which can house more than 1,500 inmates at a time.

The most scheduled charge in the jail in March was domestic battery very first offense, which showed up 597 times in jail records. SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger said she presumes domestic battery is the most scheduled charge on a monthly basis.

Metro's data showed that since April 21, domestic violence was the second-highest documented crime after larceny and theft, which are counted as one charge.

" We're still having domestic violence homicides," she said. "So the genuine question is of those 550 plus bookings, the number of cases really progress or are dismissed?".

Ortenburger said domestic battery is the top call Metro receives every month, and state law needs an arrest if an officer at the scene suspects domestic battery, but booking a suspect in the prison is just the primary step.

" We do not track conviction rates in this state, therefore I do not understand what the results of any of those cases are unless we have participation with the survivor," she stated.

City Lt. Bill Giblin, who oversees the special victims system of the department, said the Clark County district attorney's office can prosecute a believed abuser even if the victim does not want to push charges.

" Making an arrest in a domestic violence situation is the primary step in stopping that cycle of violence for that household," Giblin stated. "That's crucial. It might have been going on for a long time, and it might be a victim reporting or a next-door neighbor. It doesn't matter. As long as we figure out the battery took place, we make an arrest.".

Drug charges.

2nd on the list of charges that landed inmates behind bars in March, with 468, was first- or second-offense drug possession, less than 14 grams, of a scheduled one or two illegal drug. Set up one and 2 substances consist of LSD, heroin, drug, xanax and meth.

Athar Haseebullah, the executive director of the ACLU Las Vegas, stated he would rather see law enforcement targeting drug dealerships instead of apprehending users.

" Steps to constantly criminalize ownership does not fix anything," Haseebullah said. "This is a 30-year policy failure that's led to no effective results general and continues to be a blight on our society.".

Fentanyl also is considered a schedule 2 drug, and Haseebullah advised he would like to see authorities utilize fentanyl test strips to find how pure a drug is.

" Anybody can jail somebody for drug stuff, that's not the repair," stated Metro Sgt. Matt Kovacich, who supervises the Office of Community Engagement. "We need to take a look at the underlying issue.".

Kovacich stated cops in his office refer users to the LIMA program, which means police intervention for mental health and addiction. Individuals suffering from substance abuse go through a 9 to 12-month detox and, if essential, can look for help getting a task and real estate.

LIMA started in February 2020, and more than two years later 81 individuals have finished and just one fell back, Kovacich said.

" We keep an eye on the patrol police that refers them and welcome the police officer to graduation," Kovacich stated. "We typically hear, ‘‘ If it wasn't for this program, I 'd be in the streets.'".

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.