Correctional officers objected Tuesday to plans that would close Nevada State Prison and move 97 of its officers to other institutions.
But Director of Corrections Greg Cox said it's the only way he can balance his budget.
"There is really no way to reduce expenses without some type of closure of some facility," he said.
But spokesmen for the unions that represent prison employees said they question some of the numbers presented to lawmakers and doubt the closure will save anywhere near the $16.1 million Cox says it will.
Kevin Ranft of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Gene Columbus of the Nevada Correctional Association said closing NSP will reduce the flexibility the department has to move inmates around, potentially creating a security risk.
Ranft also pointed out the loss of those jobs, most of which would go south to High Desert Correctional Center, also would negatively impact Carson City's economy.
And they said if the prison population spikes for some reason, there could be a dangerous shortage of beds.
Cox said the prison population has been flat and is expected to remain that way. He said the roughly 700 beds at NSP can be replaced with 672 new and unoccupied beds at High Desert.
He said High Desert requires about half the staff to manage inmates that are needed in the 100-year-old design of NSP. Where one correctional officer can handle 11 inmates at new institutions like Southern Desert Correctional Center, it takes a staffer for every 4.7 inmates at NSP.
As a result, he said the cost per inmate at NSP is $23,615 while keeping an inmate for a year at High Desert is just $14,061.
"That's where your savings are," Cox said.
He said he can greatly reduce the potential layoffs if lawmakers act quickly and give him the most possible time to close the old prison. While some would move south, others, he said, could transfer to vacancies at Warm Springs or Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City, to the prison at Lovelock or the maximum security institution in Ely.
Cox also said staff who decide to move temporarily can get their jobs in Carson back as vacancies open up.
"Over time, staff that maintain homes and families here would be able to come back here," he said.
He said in earlier testimony he believes layoffs can be reduced to 30 or even lower.
The subcommittee consisting of members from both the Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees took no action on the budgets. They plan to hold more hearings before making any decisions.
